Peter Vossen Builders Matamata Swifts have suffered late heartbreak as an own goal in the dying stages of the match saw the team fall to the narrowest of defeats. It was tough to take for a Swifts side that looked far more organised, determined and sure of themselves than in last week’s heavy defeat at Albany.

Swifts coach, Duncan Lowry, was forced into more changes due to injury, suspension and unavailability. Youngster Kevin Oppert came in at left back for his first start for Matamata, which allowed Danny Styles to be pushed a little further forward. Alberto Romero was back in the side and was pressed into service up front. Lowry was also a little more pragmatic in his approach to the game, ensuring first and foremost that his team was hard to break down.

With the sun and the wind at their backs during the first half the visitors crafted more attacking opportunities than the Swifts. Tom Pamment, in the Matamata goal, pulled off two good saves and also marshalled his back four extremely well. Glenfield had more of the ball but much of it was in their own half. Harry Redwood, another youngster in a Matamata team that seems to be getting more youthful by the week, looked the goods on the right hand side of midfield. Several times he took the opportunity to run at the Glenfield defence and that’s when the Swifts looked the most threatening.

After the break it was pretty much more of the same. Matamata defended well against the barrage of long balls forward, and cleared desperately when Glenfield got the ball down and looked more dangerous. The Swifts prodded and probed and had a couple of good long range efforts. Captain, Jon Allen, led the way for Matamata, limping his way through the match on one leg and getting to the final whistle thanks to the sheer force of his determination.

The sting in the tail for Matamata was the late own goal conceeded by unfortunate centre-half, Ged Parkinson. Glenfield whipped a teasing ball across the six-yard line and Parkinson, in a desperate lunge to clear the ball ahead of an advancing striker, hcould only deflect the ball into his own net. It was a tough way to end what had been such a good match for the experienced defender.

With substitutes Simon Arthur and Bjorn Vossen taking the field during the second half it means Matamata have now used 25 players in the ten games they’ve played so far this season. While this situation doesn’t help Lowry in trying to get a consistent team on the field, which will lead to confident performances and, hopefully, results, it does at least show the club has a bit of player depth. The youngsters who are now starting to come through are being exposed to a good level of football which can only help the club as it develops in future seasons.

The Swifts take on the longest road trip of their season this coming Saturday when they travel to Whangarei to play North Force. It’s a must win game for Matamata as their hosts sit level with them on points near the bottom of the table.