Matamata Swifts 1 v Otorohanga 3

Matamata Swifts final home game of the 2003 season will be remembered more for the pointless performance of one man with a whistle than for the result and the, at times lively, football. The fact the Swifts lost 3-1 to a spritely, surprisingly resilient, Otorohanga side was merely a side issue to the day's main entertainment; that being one mans mission to drown the home side in a flood of yellow and red cards.

Early on, though, it looked like things would be so different. Matamata, playing with a strong wind at their backs, had their first shot on goal less than a minute into the game. Such was the Swifts territorial dominance that it took the visitors at least quarter of an hour to mount their first attack of the game, an attack from which they almost opened the scoring.

From their next break, just after the twenty-minute mark, Otorohanga netted the opener. Some unsure Swifts defending, due largely to a series of crazy bounces on one of the worst playing surfaces at the Domain in living memory, was capitalised on with the visitors hammering home a close range effort.

The remainder of the first half was a complete muddle. Otorohanga generally held the upper hand, but didn't threaten to add to their lead, while the Swifts repeatedly, and nonsensically, continued to kick possession away. Despite this bewildering period of ineptitude from Matamata they should have grabbed the equaliser. Billy Garcia blazed a first time effort over the bar after some excellent build-up work by his strike partners, Joe Alves and Andre Bos.

After the break things became a little more insane. The first major flash point of the game came less than ten minutes after the restart. Matamata centre-back, Pete Challis, was pushed to the ground in his own 18-yard box then looked up in disgust as the ref pointed to the penalty spot. The decision was inexplicable and set the scene for the rest of the match. Otorohanga almost blew their gift, however, as Swifts goalie, Ian Moody, later to be named his team's man of the match, got across well to his left to save the first effort. Unfortunately, the penalty taker followed up and rammed the rebound home.

This injustice served as a spur to Matamata who hauled themselves back into the game with their best period of play all day. Fifteen minutes of incessant pressure culminated in Bevan Shelley's seventh goal of the season. Good build-up play by Billy Garcia led to Joe Alves bravely heading the ball into Shelley's path. The result was inevitable as Shelley stroked the ball past the keeper.

Ten minutes later, though, Matamata were as good as dead. Some sleepy defending let in Otorohanga for their third goal and from that point there would be no coming back for the home side.

The only real question would be how many players Matamata would have left on the field when the final whistle blew. As it turned out they did well to have only two players sent-off as the sufficatingly inconsistent match official went card crazy.

The Swifts already had four players in the book, all for dissent, before the red cards started coming out. It all served less as a commentary on the Matamata player's inability to keep their mouths shut than it did on referee's frustrating capacity to wind them up with his nauseating decision making.

It should also be noted that the Swifts would have received more cautions for dissent in this one match than they have during the last two seasons, meaning this sort of thing is completely out of character for their players. Sometimes you're left to wonder whether club referees, people who have actually played the game, wouldn't be a better way to go...

In the end the final whistle couldn't come quick enough. Thankfully the farce that should have been a football match finished without any further damage to the Swifts. Otorohanga, who played more football for longer periods, were well worth their victory. It's just a shame the performance of their excellent young team was overshadowed by one mans indecent attempt to destroy what was, in truth, a run-of-the-mill end of season fixture.

Swifts XI 1-Ian Moody; 2-Adam Graham, 16-Dave Mann, 5-Pete Challis; 7-Bevan Shelley, 4-Colin Taylor, 8-Dwayne Barlow, 10-Ryan Carter (15- Justin Read 65m); 11-Andre Bos, 9-Billy Garcia, 10-Joe Alves.
Sub not used: 13-Phil Ruck.

Other Results
Cambridge 5 v Te Awamutu 0
Claudelands 2 v Putaruru 0 (def)
Hamilton North 2 v Tokoroa 0
Melville 0 v Wanderers 4
West Hamilton 1 v Ngaruawahia 1

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