This weekend saw Bulleen Lions take over top spot, carrying on from their big win over Box Hill to smash Monbulk Rangers 4-0 up in the hills. Boroondara were also big winners on Friday night, beating Box Hill 2-1 to move into third place on the table. In the other game that night, Casey recorded an important first win of the season against Heidelberg United.
Saturday saw the blockbuster clash between South Melbourne and Bundoora United, but the contest was somewhat tough to watch, even with five goals in the match.
Ashburton recorded their first point of their campaign, finding themselves in a stalemate with the ten men FFV U17s, while Cairnlea couldn’t back up their brave effort against Boroondara last week, as they lost 4-0 to Sandringham.
Box Hill United 1-2 Boroondara Eagles at Wembley Park
The Eagles continued their winning run with a big 2-1 win away to Box Hill to start the weekend, thanks to their star recruit Racheal Quigley. The midfielder laid on an assist for Aliesha Newman to score on debut in the first half, before securing the points with a late strike which was floated out of Barbieri’s reach.
Box Hill looked the better side in the second half, and had chances to clinch a winner for themselves after Ellie Brush equalised with a header, but it wasn’t to be in the end they fell to their second loss in a week.
Monbulk Rangers 0-4 Bulleen Lions at Monbulk Recreation Reserve
Bulleen made the most of their chances to bury Monbulk on their home patch on Friday night, thanks to goals by Lia Privitelli, Emily Coppock, Dani Gudelj and Olivia Edwards.
Privitelli continued her fine scoring form by adding another to her tally early in the game, and Coppock made it two just before the break to make the hosts pay for missing some half chances. Gudelj then quashed any hopes of a Monbulk comeback with a goal soon in the second half, while Edwards scored a cracking long range free kick to round off the win.
Casey Comets 3-1 Heidelberg United at Comets Stadium
Casey recorded their first win of the season, coming against Heidelberg United who haven’t been able to put a consistent run together.
The home side stung the visitors with two goals in four minutes mid-way through the first half thanks to Natasha Weragoda’s cross-turned-shot and Candela Ferreyra-Bas. Heidelberg did hit back, reducing the deficit through Kendra Jones, and they won a penalty early in the second half which was saved by Stephanie Dwyer. That proved to be a crucial miss for the visitors as Rachel Binning finished them off on the hour.
South Melbourne 3-2 Bundoora United at Lakeside Stadium
It wasn’t as good viewing as the scoreline suggests, but South recorded an important victory over title rivals Bundoora United on Saturday afternoon, also welcoming returning coach Alan Davidson with a win.
They took the early lead as Laura Spiranovic caught the deep defence unaware to stroke a finish in at the far post early on, and doubled their lead form the spot thanks to Tiffany Eliadis. Rachel Alonso’s free kick just before the break gave Bundoora something to shout about, and it seemed to spark them into action in the second half.
With the game going into a bit of a lull, Spiranovic then pounced to make it three for South after being played in by Alison Baker. Bundoora didn’t give up however, and Maika Ruyter-Hooley scored a towering header, but it was ultimately not enough and South Melbourne leapfrog Bundoora to sit third on the table.
READ MORE > Davidson to groom new coach
Ashburton 1-1 FFV U17 Girls at Ashburton Park
It took a while in coming but Ashburton finally recorded their first point of the campaign against the FFV U17s on Sunday afternoon, although they may feel like it was two points dropped.
Christine Pfeiffer had a volley saved in a first half of few chances, and the home side took the lead just before the hour when an NTC defender headed the ball into her own net. It was all going swimmingly for the hosts when FFV U17s defender Sky Jensen saw red for two bookable offences but Janna Lawson had other ideas, finishing off good work from Adriana Taranto to make it 1-1.
Cairnlea 0-4 Sandringham at Cairnlea Park
Sandringham kept up their unbeaten streak against Cairnlea with a big 4-0 win. Goals to Emma Runnalls, Eliza Gleadell and a double for the in form Elaina Vatcky secured the result for the visitors, who sit fourth on the table with 12 points.
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There were no surprises in this round of NPL action, instead Oakleigh kept up their unbeaten run while South Melbourne continued to win, while Heidelberg have stolen a march on everyone and jumped up to third.
Northcote followed up three defeats and three wins with a second straight loss (I wonder what happens next…) while Ballarat’s wheels fell off the wagon against Port Melbourne. There was also no joy for either Werribee or Pascoe Vale, while the Suns were brought back down to earth with a humbling defeat to Hume City.
Oakleigh 3-1 Melbourne Knights at Jack Edwards Reserve
Oakleigh kept up their chase of runaway league leaders South Melbourne with a 3-1 win over the paltry Knights on Friday night. Nate Foster put the hosts in the lead, scoring his fourth of the season, while Goran Zoric also scored his fourth of the campaign on the hour mark to make it 2-0.
The Knights did have a shout when Milan Batur pulled one back, but there was to be no comeback as Oakleigh restored their two goal lead soon after through Dusan Bosnjak’s penalty.
WATCH: Oakleigh vs Melb Knights Highlights (Knights TV)
Northcote City 1-3 Dandenong Thunder at Jon Cain Memorial Park
Northcote seem to be doing things in streaks at the moment, as they fell to their second loss in a row against Dandenong Thunder. Teenage sensation Matthew Millar found himself on the scoresheet once again, rifling in a long range shot which was too hard and fast for Chris Theodoridis to get to.
Kieran Dover then made it two after the break, smashing in Mulcahy’s cross while Marcus Schroen put further daylight between the teams when he tapped in a low cross. James Kalifatidis did pull one back for Northcote, but the 2013 Victorian Premier League Champions fell to yet another defeat.
WATCH: Northcote vs Dandenong Highlights (FFV TV)
Ballarat Red Devils 0-4 Port Melbourne at Morshead Park
Ballarat collapsed to a heavy defeat against Port Melbourne on Saturday evening, finishing the match with only ten men after Shaun Romein saw red for two bookable offences in the 79th minute.
Kevin Braniff gave the Sharks a crucial lead going into half time after a fairly even first half, and it was the home side who came out stronger after the break. But they were the architects of their own downfall, as Luka Prelevic pounced on an Aaron Romein error to make it two nil. After Shaun Romein was given his marching orders, Nick Krousoratis finished off the home side with a brace at the death to add a bit of gloss to the scoreline.
Hume City 4-1 Goulburn Valley Suns at Broadmeadows Valley Park
There was no repeat of the joy that Goulburn Valley experienced last week as they were hit hard by a fast starting Hume City outfit. The match had barely started before Petar Franjic headed in a Nick Hegarty free kick, and there was no time to blink as John Buceto scored a long range stunner just a couple of minutes later. Hegarty then scored a goal of his own in the 24th minute to make it three, and the Suns were basically dead and buried.
The visitors were better after the break, and did manage to pull one back thanks to an almost customary Craig Carley penalty, but Kliment Taseski ensured Hume completed the match comfortably with a fourth goal.
In some sour news for the hosts, captain Hegarty has been sidelined for a couple of months after undergoing knee surgery.
WATCH: Hume vs GVS Highlights (Hume City TV)
Werribee City 1-1 Pascoe Vale as Galvin Park
Pascoe Vale were unable to hold onto an early lead as they recorded their third draw of the season against Werribee City. Jonathan Voulgaris got the visitors the goal in just the sixth minute of the game, and saw out the half without too much trouble.
But Werribee begun the second half well, and equalised through Josh Groenewald in the 49th minute. There weren’t anymore goals to speak off, though Milan Savic missed a penalty for the hosts right at the death. It was a just result in the end, and both sides also had a man sent off, with Daniel Petrov seeing red for Werribee, while Tomislav Milardovic got one of his own for handling on the line to concede that penalty.
South Melbourne 2-1 Bentleigh Greens at Lakeside Stadium
Another week, another win for South Melbourne, this time a big one against potential title challengers Bentleigh Greens. However, the visitors had most of the best chances in the first half, forcing Jason Saldaris into a couple of saves.
South then turned it on after the break and Milos Lujic scored his eighth goal in eight games just past the hour, sliding to tap in the rebound from Nick Epifano’s saved effort. It was just rewards for the team missing a couple of big chances just before the goal. They clinched it just before the 90 minutes were up when Leigh Minopoulos scored a composed finish, but were given a late scare when Jack Webster scored for Bentleigh. In the end South continued their record breaking winning run, and really it doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon!
WATCH: South Melbourne vs Bentleigh Greens Highlights (SMFC TV)
Heidelberg United 4-0 Green Gully at Olympic Village
Dean Heffernan was the star of the show as he single handedly beat Green Gully with four goals of his own in the last match of the weekend.
He scored his first in the 15th minute of the game, dispatching a knock-down past a helpless Kieran Gonzalez. His second was a pearler from outside the box, again leaving the keeper with no chance. The next two came in the second half, as Green Gully had no answer to the NPL top scorer’s energy up front, and the result sent Heidelberg to third on the table.
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In a weekend that horrified the purists and thrilled the neutrals, the ‘Defending for Dummies’ handbook was thrown out the window with 40 goals scored across 7 games and no clean sheets. That’s 5.7 goals per game, or 2.9 per team. Yes, you read correctly, nearly three goals for each team! It certainly made life difficult for this writer summarising each game for this instalment of The Week That Was. Bring back the nil-all bore draws for the sake of simple write-ups, I say!
Anyway, I digress. Sunshine, Moreland, Bendigo and Bulleen’s Joey Katebian all scored four, but Avondale scored more, securing their fifth win in a row with five goals. Ah, the symmetry.
Whittlesea Ranges 1-3 St Albans Saints at Epping Stadium
It was looking ominous for St Albans early when Kliment Dimitrieski got in behind and scored in the third minute. St Albans kept pressing and got their reward just ten minutes later when Whittlesea dallied on the ball in the ball in defence and Sean McIlroy was played through, slotting home St Albans’s equaliser.
Two headers cleared on the line by Whittlesea saw the Saints scratching their head wondering what else they could do to break the deadlock, but a Martin Mason strike from distance found the back of the net despite brushing the keepers’ outstretched hand. A long-range free kick by Adam Nakic again couldn’t be denied by Ante Raspudic’s fingertips, sealing a 3-1 win for the visitors.
WATCH: Whittlesea vs St Albans Highlights (FFV TV)
READ MORE > Poor results part of learning curve & St Alban’s back to winners list
Sunshine George Cross 4-3 North Geelong Warriors at Chaplin Reserve
Sunshine recorded its second consecutive 4-3 game in incredible circumstances, overcoming a two-goal deficit to storm home and win by a goal.
Despite going ahead in just the third minute through an Anthony Cassar header, Robert Zadworny hit back for the Warriors just ten minutes later. Then the away side bolted to a 3-1 lead with goals either side of half time from Reardo Luka and Mark Paleka. Easy as you like it, Sunshine scored three in a row themselves, with Nedjet Sahin, Lewis Shannon and Delfin Mosible gifting the Georgies an improbable victory, leaving the home fans walking on Sunshine.
Avondale Heights 5-2 def. Richmond at Avondale Heights Reserve
Avondale reached great heights this weekend, consolidating top spot with a 5-2 rout over Richmond. Jason Principato was the principle destroyer for the home side, netting a hat trick. The game was effectively over before half time, with Zoran Pajic, Bale Micovski and Principato (x2) making a mockery of the away team’s defence.
Principato rounded off his hat trick just after half time with a curling 25 yarder. Up 5-0, the home side was feeling just a little bit merciful, letting Hamlet Armenian and Ryan Oppermann score a couple of consolation goals for the visitors.
READ MORE > Promotion still miles off & Forward thinking for Avondale
Moreland Zebras 4-1 Brunswick City at De Chene Reserve
The Zebras galloped to a 1-0 lead early on when Nick Symeoy made the most of breakdown in communications between keeper and defenders, pouncing on a loose ball. He then set up Joel Nikolic with a lovely cross into the penalty area right on the half hour mark, before substitute Liam Brian added the team’s third in the 78th minute. Symeoy made it four, nabbing himself a second he truly deserved with an acrobatic volley minutes later.
Denis Sadik did score a stunning set piece goal for Brunswick in extra time, ensuring every team scored at least one goal this weekend.
FC Bulleen Lions 5-2 Springvale White Eagles at Veneto Club
A frantic opening 15 minutes to this game bore witness to three goals, with Joey Katebian scoring the first of his four, Dejan Erakovic equalising for Springvale, and Josh Sabidussi reinstating Bulleen’s lead. Somehow, the scoreline remained at 2-1 until the break, but normal services resumed after the restart, with Takanori Nishimoto crossing the ball in to Katebian, who headed home to increase Bulleen’s advantage.
Springvale then pulled one back through Jamie De Smit, again benefiting from a Vojislav Milojevic cutback, who has now incredibly assisted all of Springvale’s eight goals in their past three games. Katebian scored a looping volley soon after to all but secure the victory for Bulleen. Not content with a hat-trick, the forward killed the game off on 90 minutes with a strike from outside the box for his fourth goal, meaning he has scored in all but one game this season. Not impressed by his side’s defending, Springvale coach Zed Mihajlovic described some of Bulleen’s goals as “Christmas presents”.
Kingston City 2-2 Box Hill United at The Grange Reserve
Box Hill looked to be cruising to an easy victory in this game, up a man and two goals approaching full time, but the determined home side showed real spirit to square the game up with two goals deep (and I mean really deep) into the game.
It was all Box Hill in the early stages, as Kenny Athiu’s 10th minute strike was tipped onto the post, before Rinor Muriqi opened the scoring with a belter from distance. City’s Arthur Papadopoulous was sent off in the 55th minute, and Box Hill subsequently doubled their lead when Alex Stavridis unluckily put the ball in the back of his own net. Stavridis made amends just before the end of regulation time, connecting with a Gini Defeo free kick, and when James Karvelis got on the end of a corner in extra time to secure a miracle draw, the home fans erupted in celebration.
FC Bendigo 4-2 Dandenong City at Tom Flood Sports Centre
Dandenong City continue their slide down the NPL 1 ladder, succumbing to a determined Bendigo City, who finally gave the home fans something to cheer about with their first home win of the season, and only their second overall.
The match was delicately poised at 2-2 at half time, thanks to Viktor Rodriguez and Josh Romein for the home side, and Damian Miskulin and Goran Jozeljic for the visitors. George Slefendorfas grabbed the lead for Bendigo after the restart with a good header, before inspirational hometown captain Trent Waterson won a penalty and converted it himself to secure Bendigo’s second win on the trot.
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As the Dockerty Cup reaches the Round of 16, here is the draw to keep you up to date on who’s progressed so far and who is still in with a shot of qualifying for the inaugural FFA Cup later this year:
Bulleen Lions (NPL1) vs Bentleigh Greens (NPL)
Dandenong Thunder (NPL) vs South Melbourne (NPL)
Fawkner Blues (SL1NW) vs South Springvale (SL1SE)
Green Gully (NPL) vs Melbourne Knights (NPL)
Werribee City (NPL) vs Northcote City (NPL)
Richmond (NPL1) vs Sunbury United (SL1NW)
St Albans Saints (NPL1) vs Eastern Lions (SL1SE)
Springvale White Eagles (NPL1) vs Hume City (NPL)
That’s all for this week! See you all again next time.