In a tense match in Taupo on Saturday, Metso Matamata Swifts substitute, Neil Slater, came off the bench and scored twice to win his side passage through to the 1st round proper of the Chatham Cup, New Zealand's version of the FA Cup.

Slater's late double strike came within two minutes of each other as injury time loomed and an early exit from the cup looked on the cards for his side.

Matamata once again dominated possession and had done almost everything right apart, that is, from doing what was required in front of goal. That's not to say that a committed and well organised Taupo side didn't deserve to push the Swifts all the way. They did and, but for an agonising miss with fifteen minutes remaining, Taupo could very well have won the day themselves.

For Matamata this match was very much a case of same story, different day. The side is getting into the habit of out-footballing their opponents but failing to put them out of the game. While this Taupo side, particularly on their own turf, was a tough nut to crack the Swifts, in turn, made very hard work of the win.

The magnificent playing surface suited Matamata but, while they got off to a good start, they found themselves a goal down at the break. A moment of hesitation at the back on the twenty five minute mark proved costly as one of the Taupo midfielders pounced to lash home the opening goal from what was his side's only real shot on goal during the first half.

Matamata prodded and probed their opponents with John Massey, Jason Collins and Scott Parsonage looking dangerous. Collins so tortured his marker with his pace and workrate that the poor guy, completely spent, had to be removed from the field early in the second half.

After the break there was really only one side in the match as Taupo took the risky approach of attempting to shut up shop, hold on for a one goal win and, occasionally, attack in ones and twos. This allowed the Swifts to grow in confidence and push their opponents further and further towards their own goal.

Matamata was crying out for a goal. They had two excellent chances, through Collins and then Massey, to get level and also had a couple of seemingly good penalty shouts turned down. With Parsonage and fellow full back, Colin Taylor, spending more time in the Taupo half of the field than their own it seemed a goal would surely come. But the clock kept ticking towards full time.

Thankfully it was a case of Neil Slater to the rescue. He and fellow striker, Adam Graham, were injected into the game with less than twenty minutes to go and it was their energy that finally broke the back of their valiant foes. Slater's first goal couldn't have been simpler as he tapped home into an empty net following good work from Juan Carlos Rodriguez and John Massey. While, to the layman, Massey might have looked offside in the build-up, credit must go to the assistant referee for making a superb decision. When Massey was played in he began his run from inside his own half, which means, quite rightly, the flag should have stayed down.

Slater rounded out his brief, starring, man of the match performance with a classic headed second goal right on the ninety minute mark.

The Swifts then had to shut up shop as Taupo chased the game during the six minutes of injury time the referee found on his watch. They survived a late, late scare as Taupo forced a free kick just outside the box, but the resulting shot was drilled over the top.

Matamata now faces Northern League 2nd division side, Cambridge, in the next round of the cup. The fixture is to be played in Matamata on Saturday May 20. In the meantime, the Swifts get back down to business in the Waikato Premier League with a home fixture, their first since before Easter, against Ngaruawahia this coming Saturday.