Ngongotaha v Matamata Swifts

Recap

Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts returned from Ngongotaha after taking a well-earned point from one of the league’s form teams. The Swifts have traditionally struggled at Stembridge Road, but the side competed well against rugged opposition.

The scoring took place inside the first quarter, with the hosts taking the lead before Swifts captain, Dwayne Signal, equalised with his first goal of the season. Signal, playing in a more advanced role these days, capitalised on some fine work from Ronan Costello.

While that was the end of the scoring, the match ebbed and flowed, with each side having their moments. The final couple of minutes saw both Ngongotaha and the Swifts squander gilt-edged chances in an ending that could have dramatically altered the outcome.

For Matamata, Joe Tompsett was solid, although the performance was built on a strong team effort, in which the Swifts looked far more secure than during last week’s ASB Chatham Cup win in Auckland.

Matamata now looks forward to the next round of the Cup, which is to be played at the Domain this Saturday against Waiuku AFC. Waiuku compete in NRFL Division 1, which is two leagues higher than the Swifts, so it will be a good test for the locals.

Click here for some photos.