It’s starting to get interesting at the top of the NPL ladder as Round 13 possibly conjured up one of the most mesmerising upsets of the season with table dwellers Goulburn Valley Suns earning a 1-1 draw against the might of South Melbourne. Foiling Jamie Reed at the spot, Suns keeper Phillip Petrovski ensured the deadlock would remain intact; all the while a late goal from Oakleigh substitute Laurent Coralie saw the Cannons claw back South lead at the top to only four points.
Last year’s champions Northcote City continued their slide down the table as they were undone by Hume City 2-0 at home, the latter clearly seeking vengeance after bowing out of the Dockerty Cup the week before, narrowly missing out on that all important FFA Cup spot to State One side South Springvale.
Elsewhere Pascoe Vale recorded their fourth straight win on the trot along with a third consecutive clean sheet whilst Heidelberg returned to winning ways after two disappointing draws with a 5-2 result over Dandenong Thunder which was a lot closer than the score line suggested.
The remaining game of the round saw Bentleigh strike late to beat Melbourne Knights by the one goal.
Continue Reading > The Week That Was: 19.6.14
Formation: 4-4-2
GK: Phillip Petrovski (Goulburn Valley Suns)
In a commanding performance full of top drawer saves against South Melbourne on Sunday evening, the Sun’s custodian was in the thick of the action pulling off a fine stop to deny Jamie Reed at the spot which essentially preserved the final scoreline at 1-1.
LB: Sam Torrens (Melbourne Knights)
Torrens had a stellar return to the starting XI with a standout defensive display at left back. Timing his tackles to perfection as well as a goal-line block to deny Bentleigh in the first half, the defender was unfortunately forced off with a recurrence of the hamstring problem that has plagued him so far this year.
CB: Danny O’Donnell (Ballarat Red Devils)
The task for Ballarat was always going to be tough as they faced an Oakleigh side that was equal-second in the league for goals scored. But for 75 minutes the Red Devils’ defence stood firm to fend off attack after attack, and it can largely be put down to O’Donnell’s work in marshalling his side’s defence. The big Englishman’s experience was crucial for the undermanned Ballarat outfit, and a desperate lunge in the second half to deny Foster inside the box allowed the Red Devils to remain in the contest.
CB: Rodrigo Vargas (Green Gully)
Green Gully’s main man at the back defended gallantly in an otherwise losing team. Uncompromising and vocal, Vargas’ leadership was unquestionable as he spurred his side on to find an equaliser.
RB: Jeremy Walker (Hume City)
The former Melbourne Heart defender was a constant threat in wide areas for Hume City on Sunday afternoon against Northcote. Undone in defence, the 20-year-old could’ve even found his name on the scoresheet all barring the assistant referees’ flag.
LM: Jonathan Volugaris (Pascoe Vale)
Usually deployed in the number ten position for Pascoe Vale, Volugaris finds a spot out wide due to our formation and competition for spots in Round 13’s Team of the Week. Threatening for almost 90 minutes, particularly from set pieces, the midfielder was one of Pascoe vales most dangerous players in Friday nights 1-0 victory over Green Gully.
CM: Marco Santilli (Pascoe Vale)
Provided with a rare start on Friday night, Santilli has now given coach Vitale Ferrante plenty to consider after shining in Pascoe Vale’s Friday night victory. Lively through the middle of the park, Santilli put his mark on the game as he delivered the cross for Adrian Talarico’s goal.
CM: Wayne Wallace (Bentleigh Greens)
Bentleigh’s skipper impressed all onlookers on Friday night as he dominated the midfield as per usual, beginning to return to the form he showed last season when he featured in our TOTW regularly.
RM: Goran Zoric (Oakleigh Cannons)
Zoric backed up his outstanding performance against South Melbourne last week with another superb outing, this time at Ballarat. The winger was an ever-present danger for the Cannons in their 1-0 win, regularly forcing the Red Devils defenders to backtrack and fend off his constant attacks.
ST: Brent McGrath (Bentleigh Greens)
Reflecting on his performance against Melbourne Knights, the Bentleigh Greens forward has now cemented himself as one of the best players in the Victorian NPL. Dangerous for the full 90 minutes, McGrath capitalised on Kovacic’s error at the death to score the winner and net his 8th of the season to cap off a superb day at the office.
ST: Kaine Sheppard (Heidelberg United):
It’s always a difficult task separating Heidelberg’s front two of Dean Heffernan and Kaine Sheppard, such has their form been in front of goal this season. This week however it’s the latter who gets the nod over his strike partner with a brace against Dandenong Thunder on Saturday night. Clinical and potent, Sheppard’s early double was vital in the scheme of the match.
SUBSTITUTES:
Stefaan Sardelic (Pascoe Vale)
Four consecutive clean sheets sees Pascoe Vale’s shot stopper grab a spot on the bench for Round 13. Consistency and reliability matched by a strong back four are the main reason why Sardelic has gone over 360 minutes without conceding, displayed in yet another performance against Green Gully on Friday night.
Jack Petrie (Heidelberg United)
90 Seconds was all it took for Petrie to have an impact on Saturday night, netting his sides first before then providing the assist for Sheppard’s second. Ticking United’s midfield over like a metronome, Petrie was nominated as a standout performer against Dandenong Thunder.
Nathaniel Foster (Oakleigh Cannons)
The Cannons’ top scorer didn’t find the scoresheet on this occasion, but it was his pacey dribble and lay-off to Laurent Coralie that set up Oakleigh for its all-important goal to defeat Ballarat. Foster worked tirelessly up front all day, and may have found the back of the net himself had it not been for a tight offside call as he raced away on goal.
Dom Marafioit (Werribee City)
Consecutive appearances on the scoresheet earns Marafiote selection this weeks edition of the Team of the Week. Netting against Heidelberg last weekend and again this time round at Northcote, Marafiote delivered another fine display up front for his side.
Benjamin Clarke (Goulburn Valley Suns)
You don’t get many chances in front of goal against South Melbourne (unless you hail from Oakleigh) but Clarke definitely took his, equalising for the visitors. Putting in a solid shift up front, Clarke’s goal proved decisive as his team left Lakeside with a solitary point.