Comag Matamata Swifts have been knocked out of the 2019 ISPS Handa Chatham Cup after losing 3-1 to Auckland-based side Fencibles United at the Domain on Saturday.
During the opening stages the Swifts took the game to Fencibles, a side that play two leagues above Matamata in the New Zealand football pyramid. The home team looked bright going forward, creating several really good opportunities before Brayden Lissington finally put them in front midway through the first half.
The lead was the least Matamata deserved, but their early profligacy was to come back to haunt them as the visitors scored twice in a short space of time either side of the half time break.
That forced the match to stretch as the Swifts had to come out and chase a goal to get back in the game. It all became a bit messy for Matamata and the visitors were able to exploit the extra space on offer to carve out some good opportunities. They eventually found a third goal, midway through the second half, when a cross was diverted into the Matamata goal by one of the hosts’ defenders.
Challenge Matamata Ladies bounced back from last week’s frustrating draw with a rousing 5-0 win at Melville United in Sunday’s Waikato Division 1 match. The team was hungrier and sharper across the park this week, which lead to three first half goals that effectively sealed the result.
Patrice Morrison helped herself to the club’s first senior hat trick of the season with three well taken goals. Her effort in front of goal was complimented by a brace from Mary Ontiveros. While the goal scorers grabbed the headlines, the most pleasing thing to come from the match for the coaching staff was the generally solid level of the Matamata performance right across the park.
Saturday’s other two matches saw the Waharoa Transport Swifts reserves recover from a four goal half time deficit to lose 4-3 at Hamilton Wanderers in a match they had chances to win. Mistakes again proved costly for a side that has been unable to make its own luck this season and has, too often, narrowly been on the wrong side of the score line.
Ram Singh, back in the side after a while out of the game, and a Hardy Rosas double were the goal scorers for Matamata.
In Saturday’s early game at the Domain, the Camel Kebab Swifts 3rd team picked up their first Waikato Division 3 win of the season after a 4-0 roasting of neighbours, Cambridge. Jamie Cox scored twice, with his efforts in front of goal being complemented by strikes from Ethan Davis and Paul Weymouth.