Recap
Comag Matamata finished on the right side of a 2-1 scoreline on Saturday, after two consecutive reverses by the same margin, to bank their first win in Taupo since the 2006 season and regain some momentum as the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership season heads into its final couple of months.
Matamata didn’t start well, conceding a goal early then creating a number of first half chances which they failed to put away. They even failed to convert a penalty, when Jamie Baxter hit the cross bar from the spot, and went into the break with mixed feelings. The performance had been positive but the frustration at all the missed chances was evident.
It didn’t take long in the second half for the Swifts to finally take one of the opportunities. Dayne Willemsen rose to head home a Jamie Baxter corner moments after the restart to right a few wrongs.
The Swifts midfield trio of Scott Parsonage, Sam Masterson and Reuben Wiglesworth controlled the tempo of the match against their robust opponents. The winner finally came five minutes from the end through leading scorer, Chris Walker, who slipped home his seventeenth goal of the season. Taupo created one final chance but Swifts keeper, Patrick Steele, pulled off a sharp stop to ensure his team banked three deserved and well needed points.
