West Hamilton 2-1 Swifts

Recap

Comag Matamata Swifts lost 2-1 at West Hamilton in their opening Loaded WaiBOP Premiership match, while the Challenge Matamata Swifts Ladies tasted a 2-0 defeat at Melville United. The Swifts reserves will want to move on quickly from their 12-0 WaiBOP Championship loss at Ngaruawahia United.

The Swifts’ match at West Hamilton, played on an horrendous surface, never really rose to any great heights. There was a big moment of controversy during the first half when Dayne Willemsen mysteriously had what should have been the opening goal ruled out, but apart from that neither side really got to grips with the game.

West Hamilton scored twice during their best spell to open up a match winning lead during the third quarter of the match. Their first came direct from a corner, while the second was scored from an indirect free kick in the box after Swifts keeper, Matt Aberhart, was harshly ruled to have picked up a back pass after a scramble from another West Hamilton corner.

Young substitute Harry Conner, on debut, bundled the ball home for the Swifts with enough time left to set up a grandstand finish, but the hosts held on.

For all their possession, the Swifts’ final ball in the attacking third was too often over hit and the team will look back on this fixture as a wasted opportunity to pick up their first points of the season.