All senior football scheduled for the Domain on Saturday was postponed due to sticky playing surfaces, but junior football still went ahead this weekend, as did the scheduled Sunday games.
Challenge Matamata Swifts Ladies 5-1 Te Awamutu
Waikato Women’s League
The Challenge Matamata Ladies team scored five goals for the second time this season to defeat Te Awamutu 5-1 in a match that looked comfortable on the scoresheet but took a fair amount of grit and perseverance to achieve.
With limited playing numbers available, the team held a narrow 2-1 lead at the break thanks to goals from Zoe Reichardt and Kerrie Cox.
The Ladies dug deep and pushed on for what was ultimately a convincing win in the second half. Injuries meant the side played the final 20 minutes with only ten players, but two further goals from Reichardt and one more from Cox gave the ladies another win and moved them into a mid-table position in the Waikato Ladies League.
Along with the goal scorers, both Gaby Raynel and Kimika Clements put in strong showings for the team.
Matamata Swifts U-13 1-1 Geyser Football
WaiBOP Federation U-13 League
The Matamata Under 13s have shared the points in a 1-1 draw after an excellent WaiBOP Federation U-13 League match against the visiting Geyser Football side. Geyser, essentially a rep team made up of players from Rotorua’s two biggest clubs, was a great measuring stick for an improving Swifts side.
Matamata led by a goal to nil at the break thanks to Cameron Wright’s first goal at this level, but the visitors found an equaliser during the second half. In the end the two sides couldn’t be separated. This was another good performance by Matamata with all the players doing their jobs well. Edward Roskam was named the team’s player of the day.
Lean pickings for Swifts Junior teams
Saturday saw the final weekend of grading games for Matamata Swifts junior teams and, while results were thin on the ground, the teams can expect more once the Preliminary Leagues begin after the long weekend.
The 13th grade Matamata Jets went down 2-0 at home to Cambridge Tornados in a tight contest at the Domain. The two teams, both among the best in the Waikato in this grade, put on an entertaining spectacle which the visitors were just able to edge. Chris Lander and Will Benefield were stand-out performers for the Jets. Earlier in the day, the 13th grade Matamata Falcons were defeated 14-0 by a very well drilled Te Awamutu Panthers side. Sophie Crispe and Matthew Richardson were joint players of the day for the Falcons.
In the Waikato 11th grade, the Matamata Dragons were defeated 7-2 away from home by a good Hamilton Marist Stars side. The Dragons, like the Jets, were drawn against some of the Waikato’s top sides for their age during the grading process and put in a good performance. Dylan Brown and Reilly Benefield scored a goal apiece, while Catherin Hardie was the Dragons’ player of the day. The other 11th grade side, an improving Matamata Tigers outfit, lost 5-2 at Tamahere Gunners. Logan Cox-Milne scored a double for the Tigers while Benjamin De Goeij was the player of the day.
The Matamata Rebels shared the points in their encounter at Ngaruawahia. Their opponents, the Narra Noise, were a good match for the Rebels, with Liam Costello-McVeigh both scoring for the Rebels and picking up the player of the day goodies.
In the 9th grade, the Matamata Eagles lost 5-2 to the visiting Tamahere Hunters. The match was level at the break, with two goals from Charlotte Salisbury cancelling out two early goals from Tamahere. The visitors completed their win with a good second half showing. Kreesh Sharma and Nathan Quinn shared the player of the day honours. The Matamata Strikers made the long trek to Raglan to play the Mauis and ended up losing 5-1. Caley van de Veen scored for the Strikers while Lukas Baukema was named player of the day.