All four Matamata Swifts senior teams were on the wrong side of the scoreline on Saturday during a weekend that also included the hospitalisation of Comag Matamata Swifts captain, Dayne Willemsen.
The Swifts headed to Taupo on Saturday confident of a good showing against one of the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership’s top sides, but came away from Crown Park with a 4-0 defeat after a horror second half showing and shorn of captain, Dayne Willemsen.
A bright opening by both sides promised an even, entertaining encounter. Indeed, that’s how the match was playing out until just before the break. Despite the hosts taking the lead on 35 minutes, when Matamata disappointing failed to deal with a relatively simple long ball, the Swifts had been the marginally stronger side. The front three of Willemsen, Kody Nowell and Brad West worked well and were unlucky not to have the Swifts at least level.
But disaster struck a minute before half time when Willemsen, clean through on goal, was recklessly fouled by Taupo’s keeper outside the box and as clearly the last defender. While Willemsen was carried off, taken to hospital and later diagnosed with a broken tibia, the hosts’ keeper was only shown a yellow card and remained on the field.
That double blow had a crippling effect on Matamata’s performance, which came crashing down on the side in the second half. After a good recent run this defeat was a massive disappointment, but it’s only one game in what has to date been the most competitive and even Premiership in memory.
The Waharoa Transport Matamata reserves, like the Swifts, travelled away missing a host of players but finished strong and were unlucky not to take a point from the match at Tauranga Blue Rovers reserves. Kieran Burgess’ first goal for Matamata saw the reserves in touch at 3-1 down at half time, before falling another goal behind. Radge Avergonzado then struck twice to draw the score back to 4-3, which is how it finished come the final whistle.
On Sunday, both the Challenge Matamata Swifts Ladies and Camel Kebab 3rd team also tasted defeat.
The Ladies, who began the season so brightly, were on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline at home against Claudelands Rovers. Despite goals from Gemma Watson and Maggie Leaver, Matamata fell to a side they were favoured to defeat. The 3rd team lost 1-0 to Tetra Pak Vikings on a horror surface in Hamilton.