Review
Only 3/7, which is average, but c’mon, who would have picked Gully to win?
Hume City 3 defeated Dandenong Thunder 1 (predicted 2-0, result correct)
Pascoe Vale 2 defeated North Geelong 0 (predicted 1-0, result correct)
Oakleigh Cannons 1 drew with Port Melbourne 1 (predicted 3-1)
South Melbourne 1 defeated by Heidelberg United 2 (predicted 1-1)
Avondale FC 1 defeated by Northcote City 3 (predicted 1-0)
Green Gully 4 defeated Bentleigh Greens 0 (predicted 0-2)
Melbourne Knights 5 defeated Werribee City 1 (predicted 2-0, result correct)
***
South Melbourne (3rd) vs Green Gully (8th)
The form
South Melbourne are now two defeats from two home games, backing up the narrow defeat against Bentleigh with a heartbreaking loss to Heidelberg deep into extra time. Green Gully, however, are on cloud nine, racking up their third straight win with a hugeeeeee 4-0 victory over table toppers Bentleigh.
The players to watch
Liam Boland, because of his brace against Bentleigh and just for an extra plug of this article:
READ MORE > Boland’s key to beating Bentleigh
For South, Matt Theodore‘s return from injury is a welcome boost to the midfield, with the team almost down to its bare bones due to departures and injuries.
The prediction
South has gone from a team with the most depth in the competition to now really struggling to field a fit XI, while Gully are all guns blazing with momentum. But I’ll sit on the fence and say 1-1.
Dandenong Thunder (13th) vs Pascoe Vale (6th)
The form
There’s no form for Dandy, now five straight defeats after succumbing 1-3 to Hume City. Pascoe Vale are on fire in the meantime, going five unbeaten following the 2-0 win over North Geelong
The players to watch
Michael Ferrante is a man with a wealth of experience and he keeps delivering week in, week out for Paco. For Thunder, despite their form, Zaim Zenelli keeps plugging away every week between the sticks in the face of adversity and is worth commending.
The prediction
Another regulation victory for Pascoe Vale to the tune of 2-0.
Bentleigh Greens (1st) vs. Melbourne Knights (4th)
The form
Bentleigh continued on their merry way with a 4-0 rout of Green Gully Bentleigh were on the receiving end of what will probably go down as the biggest shock result of the NPL Victoria season, as they ended up on the wrong end of four unanswered goals by an inspired Green Gully. Coach John Anastasiadis singled out the disappointment in seeing his players try to play “individually” rather than as a team. Expect that to be rectified in this mid-week fixture against the Melbourne Knights. For the Knights, they ended up 5-1 victors over Werribee City and displayed a clinical touch they’ve lacked since the start of the season.
The players to watch
There were plenty that impressed for the Knights on the weekend. Rodrigo Covarrubias has featured a few times off the bench this season on his slow return from injury, but looked incredibly bright on the weekend and looks primed for a start. Steven Topalovic and co. will be extremely disappointed with their defensive efforts and will hope to see some improvement this week.
The prediction
This game goes one of two ways. Are the Knights going into this one complacent after a big win/their opponent’s big loss? On the flipside, are Bentleigh the wounded animal, ready to bite back with malice? Lets split the difference and go for an entertaining 1-1 draw.
Heidelberg United (2nd) vs. Northcote City (7th)
The form
The Bergers secured what could be their most important win of the season, as a last-gasp winner helped the club simultaneously gain three points on leaders Bentleigh, and distance themselves from third place South. Top spot is now firmly in their sights and next on the radar is Northcote City. But that’ll prove a tough test, as the visitors are in a purple patch of form of their own. Three wins in four games have seen City move to seventh and while finals may just be out of their reach – needing to make up seven points on Pascoe Vale – there’s still pride to play for on Wednesday night in the derby.
The players to watch
Kaine Sheppard and Dan Heffernan are both back from injury, and they go together like eggs on toast. They’ll be hoping to devour the Northcote defenders with a pair of good performances. James Kalifatidis was a good performer for Northcote in their 3-1 win against Avondale last weekend and scored again to keep in touch with the competition’s top scorers, so keep an eye out for him.
The prediction
This’ll be a tasty game between two sides in good patches of form. But the difference lies in the importance of the game and it’s hard to argue that there’s more on the line for Heidelberg. 2-1 win, without the late heroics of the weekend prior.