Matamata Swifts v Otumoetai

Recap

The Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts bounced back from their opening day defeat in the best possible way by recording a solid home victory over one of this season’s more favoured sides, Otumoetai. Led by a Ronan Costello double, and capped by a Lawrence Clothier wonder strike, the Swifts were well worth their victory against experienced, physical opponents.

At the start, however, things didn’t go quite to plan. For the second week in a row the Swifts went behind during the opening seconds when they had a couple of goes to clear a corner, only to see the visitors bundle the ball home. This week, though, the response couldn’t have been more different.

Costello snuck the ball home on fifteen minutes to level things up and, while Otumoetai probably just shaded the first half, the mistakes that proved so costly for the Swifts last week were absent. That meant Matamata could enter the break still well in the game, and they took advantage moments after the re-start.

Virtually straight from the kick-off the Swifts burst forward and captain Dwayne Signal found himself in space down the right. He drilled a cross to the far post where Costello ghosted in to nod the ball home and give his side the lead. The goal came at the perfect time for the Swifts giving them the platform to build towards victory.

The visitors were less of a threat in the second half, although several times they looked likely to get in behind the Swifts back four. When they did, however, they couldn’t find the necessary quality to threaten Jordan Wise in the Swifts goal.

When substitute Clothier drilled the Swifts third goal in from way out wide the Swifts could finally breathe a bit easier, knowing the three points were virtually in the bank.

Stand-out performers for Matamata were Costello and midfielder, Scott Parsonage, while two more Swifts youngsters, Joe Tompsett and Logan Allen were handed starting debuts and they didn’t look out of place in a good all-round Swifts effort.

Click here for some match day photos from Harlequin Photography.