A Heidelberg United trio highlight the Round 13 Team of the Week, while there’s also a pair of debuts handed to some superb shot stoppers over the weekend. A hat-trick on debut was enough for a certain Green Gully man to headline the best performers of the week.
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GK: Michael Stark (Port Melbourne)
The Port Melbourne stopper was absolutely immense against the Melbourne Knights, making a number of classy one-on-one saves as well as a few double saves. Was only beaten by a penalty in the end to secure a first ever spot in the NPL Team of the Week. Not bad for a second game!
LCB: Jack Webster (Bentleigh Greens)
Bentleigh’s defensive record has been well documented this year, with their miserly seven goals conceded going a long way towards their success so far. But despite conceding an early goal to Oakleigh Cannons, centre-back Jack Webster makes an appearance in the Team of the Week. He’s just a first-class reader of the play, and made sure nothing got through with some perfectly timed tackles.
CB: Simon Colosimo (Werribee City)
Werribee made it two wins in a row, and secured it with a second clean sheet of the season. Simon Colosimo, who has featured in spurts for Werribee fitness permitting, was one of the best afield in taming the North Geelong attacking threat, starving the opposition of opportunities. His experience came to the fore in somewhat of a sweeper role.
RCB: Tim Mala (South Melbourne)
That goal mouth block though! Tim Mala again showed his superb defensive capabilities in the game against Northcote City, where they escaped a tough away fixture with three points that they had to fight to earn. The chances fell few and far between on his flank as the right-back kept it watertight throughout the afternoon.
LM: Anthony Ramzy (Northcote City)
While Tim Mala was keeping the left flank of Northcote City quiet, Anthony Ramzy was wreaking havoc on the other. Yes, he’s had to squeeze in as a left midfielder in our Team of the Week, but it was his endeavour on the right that meant we couldn’t leave him out. Despite being subbed after 60 minutes, he showed plenty of quality, putting the ball on James Kalifatidis’ head for their equaliser. Tested the palms of Nikola Roganovic a number of times also.
CM: Wayne Wallace (Bentleigh Greens)
A performance that we’ve come to expect from the Bentleigh stalwart, who was robust and imposing when winning the ball and a complete maestro when in possession. The whole field played to the tempo that he set, and you’d have to pay close attention to find him losing possession.
RM: Joseph Youssef (Pascoe Vale)
Youssef was nominated internally as the standout performer in the outfield for Pascoe Vale. He had the ball in the back of the net early but the strike was ruled out for an offside. He forced a good save with a point blank header, while a cheeky back heel pass nearly lead to a goal. The eventual winner he scored was fantastic, controlled with the chest and smashed in on the volley past the Hume keeper.
AM: Andreas Govas (Heidelberg United)
Govas has been in stellar form in 2015 and has provided a myriad of quality service to the abundance of quality Heidelberg have put in front of him. His first half against the Thunder was spectacular, where some classy movement off the ball caused a plenty of confusion as to who should mark him. They struggled to contain him because of it and capped off the performance with a free-kick before departing the field for an early shower.
ST: Kaine Sheppard (Heidelberg United)
The young forward continues to plunder goals with relative ease, and along with Dan Heffernan have continued one of the form strike partnerships of 2014. He bagged himself a neat brace as they displayed their incisiveness in the final third. Shepp also struck the woodwork before laying off an assist for Heffernan later on in the match.
ST: Liam Boland (Green Gully)
Scored what could be the fastest goal we see this year, notching up his first goal for Green Gully within one minute of his debut. An even bigger gift to Gully supporters was a match-winning hat-trick from the Oakleigh Cannons signing, in a simply inspired first outing. Here’s to a few more games like that from Boland.
ST: Dan Heffernan (Heidelberg United)
He has been in and out of the side this campaign due to injury problems but he well and truly put those issues behind him against the Thunder, who played the powerful striker into form. He grabbed a late double on Saturday night; his first an unstoppable header which Zaim Zenelli couldn’t keep out, before again heading home to round of a 6-1 drubbing.
Subs:
Alexander Pavlidis (Pascoe Vale)
Two keepers, two Team of the Week debutants. The former Box Hill United man was in fine form for Pascoe Vale as he went a long way towards tapering the threat that Hume City posed. Stood strong with a few clear-cut chances and was rewarded fittingly with a clean sheet.
Jem Berkant (Green Gully)
Berkant in a good, lively display in the midfield for Green Gully, making himself busy predominantly in the attacking half. Showed good passing range to create chances aplenty.
Alan Kearney (Port Melbourne)
Irishman Alan Kearney was massive in midfield for Port Melbourne, providing a constant avenue for the ball to travel forward through the middle of the park. He won his own ball with ease, providing some much needed steel in the engine room.
Christopher Cristaldo (Werribee City)
The busy bee of the City forward line, CC floated around into pockets of space and made the difference in the final third. He supplied the assist for fellow winger Simon Zappia’s opener.
Milos Lujic (South Melbourne)
Was the man-of-the-match against Northcote City and continues to get the job done for South Melbourne. He cushioned down a header for Matthew Theodore’s opener before assuming the role of match winner in the second half with a header.