The Review
It was looking like a good week, not only for us and our predictions, but also for the home sides in the NPL Victoria, as Bentleigh, Paco, Oakleigh and South all triumphed on their own turf in the first four fixtures of the round. But simultaneously, both the hosts and our tips both went down the drain as Avondale and Hume drew in a good contest, while the Knights proved too good for Northcote. Back on track in the end however as Heidelberg trumped a plucky Werribee 1-0 on Sunday. 5/7 correct tips, no correct scores.
Bentleigh Greens 3 defeated Dandenong Thunder 1 (Predicted: 1-0 Bentleigh, correct)
Pascoe Vale 1 defeated Port Melbourne Sharks 0 (Predicted: 2-1 Pascoe Vale, correct)
Oakleigh Cannons 1 defeated Green Gully 0 (Predicted: 3-0 Oakleigh, correct)
South Melbourne 7 defeated North Geelong Warriors 1 (Predicted: 2-0 South, correct)
Avondale FC 1 drew with Hume City 1 (Predicted: 1-0 Hume, incorrect)
Northcote City 1 defeated by Melbourne Knights 2 (Predicted: 2-1 Northcote, incorrect)
Heidelberg United 1 defeated Werribee City 0 (Predicted: 2-1 Heidelberg, correct)
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Oakleigh Cannons (8th) vs. Melbourne Knights (4th)
Last time they met: Melbourne Knights 2 drew with Oakleigh Cannons 2
The form:
Two straight league wins were met with a last gasp draw in the catch-up fixture against Hume City. Despite requiring a last minute equaliser to claim that point, Oakleigh looked a rejuvenated side capable of moving into one of the latter finals positions. That looked unthinkable a couple of months ago, but they currently sit only four points behind Pascoe Vale in sixth. They face the Knights who went undefeated in the month of May, despite slipping to fourth. The last of those fixtures was against Northcote, who they comfortably beat 2-1. More importantly, it was their first away win in six attempts, and they’ll need more of the same to triumph at Jack Edwards Reserve.
The players to watch:
Andrew Barisic netted his first league double last round to triumph over Northcote City, while Ivan Grgic will need to be on his game to quell the danger of Dusan Bosnjak, who scored the winner against Green Gully. Goran Zoric and Ben Clark had quiet games against Hume and will be looking for redemption.
The prediction:
Undefeated in May yes, but they’ll start June with a second straight loss I’m afraid. The loss to South in the Cup would’ve mentally drained the Knights and without suspended skipper Tomi Uskok, I rate Oakleigh – off a 5-1 win over Bendigo in the FFA Cup – to grab a 2-1 win.
Avondale FC (9th) vs. Pascoe Vale (6th)
Last time they met: Pascoe Vale 0 defeated by Avondale FC 1
The form:
Two weeks ago saw a plucky Avondale grab a draw against Hume City, nabbing an equaliser within minutes of their opponents opening the scoring. That said plenty about the spirit in the camp at the time with a few big signings primed to make their debuts. Fast-forward to now, and Avondale are coming off a demoralising 1-0 loss to state league side Frankston Pines, a fixture that saw A-League stalwart Mass Murdocca make his debut for the club. How will they respond to the shock loss? Pascoe Vale finally broke their aesthetically pleasing brand of results this season with a 1-1 draw against Bentleigh Greens. Their last eight fixtures now read WLWLWLWD. A second straight match undefeated may be pleasing for them, but for my OCD? Not so much.
The players to watch:
Forward Jake Nakic unfortunately looks set to miss the remainder of the season after rupturing a tendon him his hamstring, which leaves the attacking workload a little lighter that they’d like. Skipper Joseph Youseff and the dangerous Davey van ‘t Schip will shoulder the responsibility in the front half, but we hear that neither can hit the target like Nakic can, at least in darts. For Avondale, the obvious choice to watch will be Massimo Murdocca, but keep an eye out for young defender Dean Campelj who now has two senior appearances under his belt this season.
READ MORE > Avondale youngster set for competitive return
The prediction:
This will be one of the tougher games to tip this week, but I’m opting for a narrow Paco win, purely on form. Seven of their fixtures this season have ended in a 1-0 result, so we’ll go with that because I’m a sucker for routine.
North Geelong Warriors (14th) vs. Green Gully (11th)
Last time they met: Green Gully 1 defeated by North Geelong Warriors 6
The form:
A team desperate for a win meets one ever so slightly less desperate for one. Green Gully have played some decent football in the last few weeks, thumping the other promoted side Avondale 4-1 before falling 3-1 to Northcote. A 1-0 loss to Oakleigh last round was harsh on the Cavaliers, who made a good account of themselves in the fight. North Geelong and coach Micky Colina issued an apology to the fans after they were trounced 7-1 by South Melbourne a fortnight ago. They hit a new season low after bowing out in the cup to state league side South Springvale SC. How they respond this week will be key in determining the character of the squad.
The players to watch:
Former Victory youth captain Luc Jeggo made a welcome return to football following a disastrous injury last season. When he’s fully fit, it’ll be a massive boost to Green Gully. Amadu Koroma missed Gully’s 6-1 shock loss at the hands of North Geelong last time and will hope to keep his flank a little quieter than last time. We may just have someone new to watch out for next week, if this little sly advert works its magic.
The man that did the damage last time was winger Robbie Zadworny, now at the Knights, so lets keep a close eye on Juso Julardzija who scored a brace in that game.
The prediction:
How will their last meeting play on the minds of Gully? Both have a point to prove in their own respective ways, and I fancy the two to take a point each. 2-2 draw, with the Warriors coming back from two goals down.
Northcote City (10th) vs. Hume City (5th)
Last time they met: Hume City 5 defeated Northcote City 0
The form:
For Northcote City, it wasn’t an ideal performance against Melbourne Knights last time out, as they allowed an early goal to slip through, putting them on the back foot from the get go. While they had good patches, ultimately they fell 2-1 and much like the South Melbourne result a few weeks prior, were defeated with their heads held high. Hume have let slip a promising start to the season but looked to be in action after fighting for a win against Port Melbourne two rounds ago. Draws against Avondale and Oakleigh last week would’ve hurt, given they coughed up a lead in both those games. However, it’s not too bad for an NPL 1 club fighting it out in the top flight. Kudos FFA, kudos.
The players to watch:
Daniel Clark, apparently fresh from his move from Ballarat Red Devils, was bright against Oakleigh, while Daniel Chaabani was influential on his debut. Paul Harvey will need to be kept in check as he’s proven a handy signing also. He’ll be up against it with Evan Kounavelis or James Kalafatidis the ones he could possibly match up on. Chris Theodoridis will be desperate for the clean sheet that’s evaded him since Round 9’s 2-0 win over North Geelong.
The prediction:
I think Northcote can take points out of this fixture but Hume City will probably see themselves favourites for the clash. Goran Lozanovski’s side has plenty of quality and in recent weeks have looked a much-improved outfit. Hume have struggled to score so a shock 2-1 win to the hosts may be on the cards.
Dandenong Thunder (13th) vs. South Melbourne (3rd)
Last time they met: South Melbourne 5 defeated Dandenong Thunder 0
The form:
The break may do wonders for a Dandenong Thunder outfit that has looked bereft of confidence in recent weeks. This follows a six game winless run, where they’ve picked up a measly two points. Unfortunately for them, they run into a South Melbourne side riding the coattails of a magnificent cup victory over the Knights. Worse yet, their last meeting – a month ago to the day – ended in a 5-0 loss.
The players to watch:
Custodian Nikola Roganovic fell on his sword, protecting the integrity of his teammate; noble. That opens the path for Fraser Maclaren’s full debut for South. I’m sure the supporters will be hoping he’s not caught so off guard on the pitch as he is on camera.
Brad Norton has been stellar in a different role in defence over the last few games, but if Michael Eager returns to fitness, expect a return to the left. Defender Ramazan Tavsancioglu will need to be in fine form to keep his former team at bay.
The prediction:
Here’s hoping the corner is turned for Dandenong Thunder soon, but I can’t see it being this week. A loss to Oakleigh shows that South are fallible after all, but their 7-1 trouncing of North Geelong on the rebound shows how little they enjoy losing. 4-1 to South Melbourne.
Werribee City (12th) vs. Bentleigh Greens (1st)
Last time they met: Bentleigh Greens 1 drew with Werribee City 1
The form:
While South may have shown a small chink in the armour, Bentleigh’s looks more impenetrable than a nun with her ankles tied. Werribee best be praying too as they face the in-form team in the competition. They’ve enjoyed three weeks out of the relegation zone, with their only defeat in the last four rounds coming a fortnight ago against Heidelberg. Even then they were arguably the better side in the second half. Bentleigh stumbled last weekend with a 1-1 draw against Pascoe Vale, rescued with a late goal.
The players to watch:
The man for Bentleigh at the minute is Liam McCormick, who has found his best form over the last month or so. Luke Pilkington is an unassuming figure, who continues to put on consistent performances in defence. Simon Zappia looked busy in the loss to the Bergers, and Ryan Filipovic add’s some steel into the midfield. They’ll be hoping to bring home the choccies for their coach this weekend.
The prediction:
Bentleigh’s eight game winning streak may have been snapped, but expect them to step back into the winners circle this weekend. Werribee will make it hard for them – especially at home – but I don’t know many brave enough to tip against the Greens at the moment. A comfortable 2-0 win in the Western Suburbs to the visitors.
Heidelberg United (2nd) vs. Port Melbourne (7th)
Last time they met: Port Melbourne 0 defeated by Heidelberg United 2
The form: They were hardly convincing against Werribee in their last outing but Heidelberg just continue to trod along, notching up a third straight win. They would’ve been especially pleased to have kept a clean sheet, their first in four games. They tuned themselves up well with a 5-0 trouncing of the non-Louis Saha led Caulfield United Cobras. Port Melbourne started the season brightly but are fading fast, with only one win to their name in nine starts. They suffered a disappointing loss to Pascoe Vale before the break and will be eager to set the record straight.
The players to watch:
Andrew Cartanos marked his full return in the cup with a brace, while the star in that game was Daniel Heffernan who grabbed a hat-trick. Kenny Athiu is looking a little down in the dumps after missing out on Team of the Week Round 15, so here’s a little plug just for him.
If you’re reading this, we expect a signal to us when you score this weekend. Just something real subtle to show your love for The Corner Flag.
Shaun Kelly misses out for Port Melbourne through suspension, which means the defensive responsibility will fall on likely captain on the night Chris Grossman.
The prediction:
A win is crucial for Port if they harbour ambitions of playing finals football. For the Bergers, they’ll want to keep it tight at the back and I can see a clean sheet to go along side three points for the hosts. 2-0 Heidelberg.