COMAG Matamata Swifts defeated Otumoetai FC 5-1 at the Matamata Domain on Saturday to maintain their top three spot in the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership.
For the second week in a row the Swifts were two goals to the good inside the opening ten minutes, but this week they kicked on against a side they’ve struggled with in the past. Glen Carmichael, in his first start for Matamata since his return from Cambridge, opened the scoring then leading scorer, Chris Walker, doubled the margin.
Walker helped himself to his second on the half hour, while the cross bar and Otumoetai’s keeper helped ensure the Swifts only led by three at the break.
The pace and precision of the front four of Walker, Carmichael and wide men Dayne Willemsen and Brad West ripped Otumoetai to pieces during a one sided opening 45 minutes.
They were at it again in the opening stages of the second half as Walker crossed for Carmichael to nod home his second. Otumoetai had a glimmer of hope just after the hour when they grabbed a goal back (a Swifts own goal) but it was only a brief respite. Walker, after three consecutive doubles in the league this season, slipped home his third goal for a well-deserved hat trick with thirteen minutes remaining.
Matamata was superb in patches in this game, particularly in the first half. The team looks irresistible going forward, at times, and the only regret from this match would have been that the victory margin wasn’t even larger.
In the early game at the Domain the Richardson Racing Stables Swifts Reserves conceded twice late on to lose 2-1 the WaiBOP Championship leaders, Otumoetai Reserves. Matamata had by far the best of a goalless first half, before Ramandeep Singh powered the locals into the lead early in the second half. Controversy surrounded the lead-up to Otumoetai’s equaliser, which came from the penalty spot, before they found a winner with virtually the last kick of the game.
The Swifts A team suffered their second successive defeat, going down 4-2 to Waikato Unicol. Jamie Cox and Ronan Costello found the back of the net for the A team, but Unicol was too strong across the park and were well worth their victory.
On Sunday the Challenge Matamata Swifts Ladies picked up their first point of the season from a thrilling 3-3 draw at Hamilton Wanderers. In an end to end tussle, Matamata struck through Patrice Morrison, Holly Manton and Manon van Lith but couldn’t quite keep their opponents at bay. The home side was strong on the counter, scoring twice from swift breakaways, but Matamata missed a penalty which would have given them a well-deserved victory.