Does the machine improperly award a match on both players?

The reason I ask is that there are multiple wipers involved in the match circuit. In order to award a match correctly, the wipers on one of the tens score reels have to line up on the same number that the match stepper finishes up on. If any of these wipers (score reels or match stepper) are misaligned or bent such the contact straddles two copper traces, one can get the issue you have noted. The issue might also occur is there is anything conductive that might be shorting 2 adjacent copper traces together.

That said, the issue is MUCH more likely to happen with the match stepper wiper & circuit board due to it's design, tiny size, and the close proximity of the traces to each other.

Mark and Stashyboy offer good advice wrt cleaning the match stepper copper traces and trying to mitigate any play between the spindle and the wiper fitment.

L