Matamata Swifts 2 v Tokoroa 1

Matamata Swifts snapped a four game losing streak on Saturday, thanks to a couple of superb Billy Garcia goals, some rugged defending and just a little of the luck the side has been missing in recent weeks.

After struggling to get a team together for last week's match the Swifts were almost spoiled for choice and were able to field close to their best line-up. This showed in the early stages as the team hit the ground running, beginning with the sort of confidence and panache that belied their lowly position in the league.

Matamata were on the scoreboard early too. Within ten minutes Billy Garcia had smashed home one of the Swifts' goals of the season. His twisting run to create the space needed to receive the ball was impressive enough, but the finish he applied could only have been administered by someone who had learnt his football in South America. Garcia's angled drive, from fully 20 yards out, fizzed past Tokoroa's keeper and dipped neatly under the cross bar.

The Swifts scored their second on the half-hour mark, although it seemed a long time coming. Matamata had regularly threatened to extend their lead, and had already seen Colin Taylor hit the cross bar from the edge of the box, before Garcia popped his second goal in from close range. Some good work down the right by Aidan Miller was completed with an angled, perfectly weighted pass that made Garcia's job a formality.

The visitors, having been on the back foot for most of the first 45-minutes, raised the stakes after the break. With the Swifts inexplicably looking to defend their lead, rather than push on for more goals, Tokoroa seized their opportunity. Their energy and speed on the break had the Matamata ship groaning under the weight of some immense pressure but to the Swifts' credit they managed to do most things right at the back and held on grimly.

Less than ten minutes from the end Tokoroa finally did get the goal their second half performance warranted and, disappointingly for Matamata, it came from the penalty spot. Dave Taylor, superb in goal for the second week running, guessed correctly and almost got his hand to the ball as it was tucked inside his right-hand upright.

Matamata held on to the end, a little nervously but well enough to preserve their victory and the much needed three points.

With their performance being at times brilliant, particularly during the first half, and at others mediocre, the team will need to find the consistency required to compete with the best teams in the league over the next few weeks. This starts next Saturday with a difficult away fixture against Hamilton North.

Matamata Swift's player of the day was double goal scorer, Billy Garcia.

Swifts XI 1-Dave Taylor; 2-Adam Graham (8-Justin Read 85m), 14-Eric Van Waveren, 16-David Mann (3-Neil Wiseman 60m); 9-Aidan Miller, 4-Colin Taylor, 6-Gwyn Hughes, 10-Ryan Carter; 7-Bevan Shelley, 11-Billy Garcia (13-Joe Alves 75m), 12-Andre Bos.

Match photos

Other Results
Claudelands 2 v Cambridge 2
Melville 1 v Hamilton North 4
Otorohanga 3 v Putaruru 5
Te Awamutu 2 v Ngaruawahia 0 (TA won by default)
Wanderers 0 v West Hamilton 1

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