Melville United 3-0 Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts
WaiBOP Premiership – Saturday
Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts have lost their unbeaten 2016 WaiBOP Premiership record after going down to a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Hamilton’s Melville United on Saturday.
In a match where not a lot went right for Matamata, they lost key performers Gary Dobson and Joe Tompsett to injury, gave up soft goals and uncharacteristically struggled in the attacking third.
Melville led at the break, before scoring early in the second half to give the Swifts a mountain to climb. Matamata had shown the fortitude to come from behind to gain results in earlier games, but Melville, away from home, proved too difficult a nut to crack for this developing side.
Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts 1-2 Otumoetai FC
Chatham Cup – Monday
The second part of Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts’ ANZAC Weekend double header was better than the first, but they were still on the wrong end of the scoreline, after losing a tense Chatham Cup match 2-1 at home to Otumoetai FC.
The Swifts made multiple changes after Saturday’s poor showing and looked better organised and more lively. Neither side created much during the first half, but Matamata went the closest to opening the scoring through Josh Oed and then Dwayne Signal.
A more open contest greeted the healthy crowd after the break, with opportunities at both ends. The visitors hit the crossbar, before Matamata replied in kind after a superb close range block from the visiting keeper.
Otumoetai went ahead with thirteen minutes remaining when a routine long ball wasn’t dealt with, then they doubled their lead five minutes later. The Swifts hit back instantly to make it 2-1 but, despite a late attempted onslaught, couldn’t find the equaliser which would have pushed the match into extra time.
So a disappointing ANZAC Weekend ended with two defeats, but plenty of players exposed to first team football. The trick now will be to get immediately back to winning ways when their WaiBOP Premiership campaign resumes on Saturday.
Whakatane Town 1-2 Richardson Racing Stables Swifts reserves
WaiBOP Championship
Richardson Racing Stables Swifts reserves secured their first win of the season after putting in a courageous display to win 2-1 at Whakatane Town on Saturday.
The Swifts senior squad was hit by injury, suspension and unavailability over the weekend, meaning the reserves travelled light on numbers and experience. But they more than made up for this with an energetic, fighting performance.
Reuben Wigelsworth opened the scoring just after the half hour, with a shot from the edge of the box. The goal came after the reserves had already created several openings, with both Josh Oed and Adrian Naicker both unlucky not to find the back of the net.
Whakatane levelled things up early in the second half, when the reserves lost shape at the back, but Finn Challis pushed the reserves back in front with a close range goal just after the hour mark. The hosts came into the game as the reserves tired, but grim defending by the team, led by Matt Monteith, Mike Candy and keeper Cam Horsfall, ensured there would be no more goals. Horsfall and Dan McKellar combined to see the ball cleared off the line right at the death to ensure the reserves headed home with all three points.