Comag Matamata Swifts’ late season run in The Soccer Shop WaiBOP Premiership continued apace on Saturday as Hardy Rosas’ added time goal gave the team a 2-1 victory at Ngaruawahia United and moved them into the top five.
For so long the 2019 season had been one of struggle and injury for Matamata and, as late as mid-July, looked like being one in which relegation was a very real prospect. But a run of four wins and two draws in their last six games, due mainly to a renewed confidence in front of goal, has more than lifted the gloom.
At Ngaruawahia on Saturday the Swifts began slowly, yet again, but finished by far the stronger of the two sides. As in the reverse fixture the hosts took an early lead but unlike that day, when the Swifts struck seven times in reply, this match was a far tighter contest.
While Matamata grew into a position of strength in the match it took until just after the hour mark for them to find a goal. Leading scorer, Chris Walker, was played in by Andrew Clothier and finished neatly for his tenth goal of the season.
Matamata continued to threaten but struggled to find a way through the well organised Ngaruawahia defence. Just as it looked like both sides would share the spoils substitute Rosas decided to have the final say, firing home two minutes into added time for what proved to be the game’s defining moment.
Pleasingly, Matamata was able to give youngsters Sam Hills, Adam Harris and Anton Ganas more minutes as the side develops ahead of the 2020 season.
The Swifts still have two matches remaining as they wind down their 2019 campaign. It continues at Otumoetai, the team currently in second spot, this Saturday.
The Camel Kebab Matamata 3rd team was the only other senior team in action over the weekend. They went down 3-0 at Claudelands Rovers O35s in what was their final match of 2019.
Waharoa Transport Matamata Reserves play their final match this coming weekend, as they play the curtain raiser at Otumoetai against the club’s reserve team, while Challenge Matamata Ladies head to Hamilton to take on Claudelands Rovers.