Swifts 5-4 Internationale FC

Recap

Matamata Swifts have navigated the first hurdle of New Zealand sport’s oldest knock-out cup competition, the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup, after a thrilling 5-4 extra time victory over Auckland-based side, Internationale FC.

The Swifts’ attacking prowess and defensive frailties were on show again, but this was a match the home team should have comfortably wrapped up in regulation time. That they didn’t meant the rowdy local crowd got a good afternoon’s entertainment.

Matamata struck twice in the opening 15 minutes, through first an own goal then a Scott Parsonage drive, and appeared on the way to a comfortable victory. But their experienced opponents hit back from set-pieces to see the game level at the break.

The woodwork twice came to Internationale’s rescue, from a first half Chris Walker effort then a second half Dayne Willemsen hit, but they threw the tie upside down when they hit the front with 20 minutes remaining. Matamata responded almost immediately, appearing to scramble the ball over the line, but the goal wasn’t awarded and the game looked like it could slip away.

But it didn’t. Midfielder, Sam Masterson, drove home the leveler with a minute left on the clock, before both Willemsen and Jamie Baxter were denied a winner in added time.

Walker put Matamata back in front five minutes into extra time, tapping home a Radge Avergonzado cross, before Avergonzado, on his first team debut, tucked home the fifth right on half time of extra time.

Internationale grabbed one back midway through the second period of extra time, before Willemsen hit the cross bar with a thunderbolt. The Swifts managed to see the game out and will now wait to see who they draw in the next round (turns out it was Onehunga Mangere United, which Matamata will play at the Domain on May 13).