[ Back ]

Matamata AFC Pre-Season Tournament

Unicol notched a goal in each half against Tokoroa to take out the final of Matamata AFC's pre-season tournament. In a one-sided game, Unicol had too much in reserve against a Tokoroa side who had already played an extra group game. The extra energy shown by the Unicol side was enough to run the combative, but physically exhausted, Tokoroa team into the ground and complete a well deserved victory.

Matamata beat West Hamilton I by default to take 3rd place, while Morrinsville completed an encouraging day with a 2-1 victory over Waihi to finish 5th. Earlier in the day, Tokoroa and Unicol had topped their groups with unbeaten records. Unicol drew their first game 1-1 against West Hamilton I, with West Ham. scoring both goals. The students wrapped the group up with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Waihi. In the other Group 2 game, West Ham and Waihi drew 1-1.

Group 1 saw Tokoroa do enough to progress to the final on goal difference over their hosts. Tokoroa notched up easy wins over West Ham II (5-1) and Morrinsville (3-1). They knew they could make the final if they didn't lose to Matamata after the Swifts hadn't quite scored enough goals in their first two games (a 2-0 win over Morrinsville and a 4-1 defeat of West Ham II).

Tokoroa achieved their aim with a 0-0 draw in a game either side could have won. It was a close run thing for Tokoroa, however, as Matamata scored what looked like a legitimate goal late on, only to have it ruled out for hand ball based on the call of a rogue linesman. The call added spice to a typically robust match between these two Southern Waikato rivals. In the end, though, Tokoroa deserved their place in the final as they were the most enterprising team in Group 1.

For the record, the goal scorers for Matamata were John Van Gog and David Hyslop, against Morrinsville, while Van Gog (with 2), Hyslop and Joe Alves were on the scoresheet against West Ham II.

Full results can be found here