Almost all sections of the Aussie sport media focused their lenses on the return of the AFL this week and we must admit to being swept up in the action as well. But fear not, the football this week in the NPL offers plenty of excitement in its own right, including the original Melbourne Derby, minus a certain full-back who let the banter get the better of him.
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North Geelong Warriors (13th) vs Avondale FC (9th)
The form:
You know that old adage that asks what happens when the unbreakable shield meets the unyielding sword? A fallacy yes, but a sign of what’s to come when the two promoted sides meet this weekend? No. Avondale FC’s main problem has been sticking the ball in the net while North Geelong’s has been at the opposite end, with a leaky defence to blame for their precarious position. Having conceded four goals last week against Port Melbourne – and two consecutive weeks before that – North Geelong also failed to trouble the scorers, something they’ve done with relative ease this year. Avondale were the team to inevitably slip up against the winless Oakleigh, as they fell to a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat, but are now four points clear after defeating Pascoe Vale.
The players to watch:
Defender Matt Townley and the steely Michael Grgic have started North Geelong’s last three games, and will be keen to set the record straight was a good defensive display and a clean sheet. Reardo Luka was denied a great goal early against Port which could have changed the course of that contest, and will be hoping to go one better this week. For Avondale, last season’s top scorer Oleksiy Khrapko looks to be hitting form again with two goals in three games, while Jason Principato also got in on the act this week.
The prediction:
It’ll be a battle between a misfiring forward line and a porous defence, the stained glass shield meets the foam sword if you will. There’s goals in this one for both sides, and we can see North Geelong grabbing the majority of them against a tired Avondale. 3-2 to the hosts with the Warriors to concede the first and last of the game.
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Green Gully (7th) vs. Heidelberg United (1st)
The form:
Gully have tapered off slightly after an impressive opening month in the NPL. They find themselves just outside the six after three winless games, the most recent being a late 2-0 loss to South Melbourne. For Heidelberg, they’ve once again hit their straps with 10 points from four games and sitting atop of the table, and incredibly are still yet to concede away from home. It’s evoked this amazing poem from a passionate supporter. We’ll leave a short excerpt here:
An early shower for the number ten the Fiddler played his tune.
With two goals in the bag, the players took a rest.
A pity is to play and Northcote should know well,
You have to score to win a game no matter how play.
The ball is round but one should have a scorer at the end.
The players to watch:
Dan Heffernan has returned to the Bergers line-up after a spell out with injury, and the Englishman was straight into the thick of things against Northcote City with a goal. He’ll hope to continue on with the partnership he struck with Kaine Sheppard, who’ll also be keen on a return to the goalscorer’s list after having two goals denied against Northcote – hitting the woodwork for one and striking Marino Gasparis’ arm on the goal-line for the other – and settling for assisting Rueben Way against Port Melbourne. For Gully, their defence has performed admirably despite having conceded 13 for the season and right-back Amadu Koroma has been at the forefront of that with his marauding displays down the flank. Their technical proficiency in midfield is where they shine, with Nikola Markovski able to unlock a defence.
The prediction:
A win for both sides would set their season up incredibly well, and although finals is a long way off, it’ll be a small mental victory against a fellow finals chaser. Both sides have goals in them, but we fancy a well drilled Heidelberg United to take the full points in a tight affair. 2-0 Heidelberg, their third 2-0 win in a row, and Gully’s second 2-0 loss in a row.
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Bentleigh Greens (3rd) vs. Hume City (6th)
The form:
A strong contender for game of the round, if it weren’t for the Melbourne Derby, sees the unbeaten Bentleigh Greens battle a Hume City outfit that has gone five games without a loss. While they’ll be a little disappointed by their 1-1 draw with Werribee City on Monday, Hume’s previous four games returned a tally of 12 points and 13 goals. Bentleigh made a huge statement last week by putting away the Melbourne Knights.
The players to watch:
Both sides return a goal difference of 8, boasting solid defences and a potent attacking outlets. The contest could come down to individual contests, such as how Bentleigh’s Tom Matthews deals with cutting out the delivery from Nick Hegarty, or how Joey Franjic and Troy Ruthven can impose their physical nature on the contest in the middle of the park. The final match-up of choice will be Shane Rexhepi and Petar Franjic taking on the threat of leading goal scorer Matty Thurtell and Tyson Holmes behind him.
The prediction:
A ripper match and a ripper contest. Bentleigh riding the coattails of a big win against Melbourne Knights may just be caught short against an impressive Hume side that’ll be keen to get back to winning ways. Going out on a limb and predicting a 3-3 draw and plenty of entertainment at Kingston Heath.
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South Melbourne (4th) vs. Melbourne Knights (2nd)
The form:
South Melbourne look a team revived after a late pair of goals gave them their first victory in three starts. Knights were finally found out after a modest set of fixtures and five straight wins gave them a false sense of security. They’ll want to respond to their winless run with the three points, while South will be looking for a Derby day victory to really put a stamp on the competition in 2015. The aesthetics of vintage Norts will inspire them along also. #justicefornorts
The players to watch:
The Knights will be looking to Andrew Barisic to once again get amongst the goals. A haul of multiple goals beckons for the forward, but he’ll be up against one of the competition’s best new signings Luke Adams. South Melbourne’s Milos Lujic showed great form against Gully to grab a late double, while midfielder Dane Milovanovic was impressive in that win. Iqi Jawadi is always influential in the engine room, and his battle with Tomislav Uskok could go a long way towards tilting the contest. One man who won’t be there is Tim Mala, unavailable after receiving a late red card for apparent dissent towards Gully ‘keeper Kieran Gonzalez. This may be his defence against the case:
The prediction:
The football hasn’t been at its pinnacle for South Melbourne this year, but they’ve managed to continue to grind out results, a good sign for a championship chaser. Knights on the other hand were dealt a cruel lesson last week, and the question will be how they back up against another top-of-the-table side. Alas 2-1 to South Melbourne, Andy Brennan off the bench to score (and not tee up Milos Lujic with the easiest goal ever instead) in a carbon copy of the Community Shield. But hey, if you don’t want to take it from us, go by David Davutovic’s prediction instead:
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Dandenong Thunder (14th) vs Port Melbourne Sharks (5th)
The form:
It doesn’t make for good reading if you’re a Dandenong Thunder supporter as the club succumbed to a fifth straight loss on the weekend, this time in a 5-2 thrashing from Pascoe Vale. The good news? They got on the scoresheet for the first time in three games. But in saying that, they boast the fourth worst scoring record, third worst defence and sit in the relegation zone with one win in six starts. Port Melbourne on the other hand were on fire, winning consecutive games 4-0, before crashing back down to Earth at the hands of Heidelberg.
The players to watch:
While Kamal Ibrahim has taken the plaudits this year for his bright start to the NPL campaign, he’s also received ample support from Trent Rixon, Alan Kearney and Ryan Opperman who have all contributed for Port. His two goals against North Geelong last week contributed to the big win and he’ll be keen to add to the tally. Dandenong’s positives have been few and far between this year, but Yusuf Ahmed may fancy himself to once again get amongst the goals, and fellow youngster Lewis Foster has gotten plenty of game time for the Thunder.
The prediction:
No upsets here as I fully expect Port Melbourne to claim another three points in quite comfortable fashion. It’d be remiss of me not to stick with a pattern, so 4-0 to the Sharks it is.
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Werribee City (12th) vs. Pascoe Vale (8th)
The form:
Much has been said about Werribee’s start to the NPL Victoria season, and the most encouraging thing has been their ability to stay in contests. Three draws and losses by a goal pays testament to the way Nino Ragusa has set his side out this season. While Werribee haven’t scored nor conceded too many this year, Pascoe Vale have been quite the opposite, preferring a free flowing game style which means plenty of goals for and against.
The players to watch:
Reigning NPL1 Goalkeeper of the year Alex Pavlidis has been preferred in goals over the last few weeks and has been kept incredibly busy in that period. He’ll hope to have less to do this week. Full-back Jake Halliday has impressed the Paco inner sanctum with his endeavour:
Meanwhile, Adam Nakic grabbed a goal and impressed on the weekend, so here’s a shoutout for your football, Adam. Frano Saric was good in goals against Hume City, and Chris Cristaldo has been one of the Bees’ best since making the move out west.
The prediction:
No logic at all other than a gut feeling, but Werribee are due a win, and while Paco aren’t a bad outfit, it may just come against them. Werribee to grab a confidence building 1-0 win and Cristaldo to split the sides.
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Oakleigh Cannons (11th) vs. Northcote City (10th)
The form:
Firstly, we’d like to send out best wishes to Cannons clubman Aki Ionnas after his minor heart attack after Oakleigh’s 2-1 squeaky bum time victory over Avondale FC. It was a drama filled game as they claimed their first win of the season with two late strikes to send the support into raptures. They then clawed back a two goal deficit to draw with the Knights. How will they back it up against fellow strugglers Northcote City? The visitors’ last outing was a 2-0 loss to Heidelberg with 10 men after Marino Gasparis won’t be available for action for his goal-line handball against the Bergers, depicted below:
The players to watch:
Despite Gasparis’ absence, they do have enough talent in their squad, despite a host of names leaving the club in the off-season. Jonathan Bounas was impressive against Heidelberg but just needed his finishing boots on. Chris Theodoridis may be kept busy in goals, with deep-lying forward Dusan Bosnjak in some fine form after a match winning brace. Dean Piemonte will be keen on grabbing his first goal of the year, but has the late double earned Liam Boland a start?
The prediction:
It’s a close call for this game, and both sides will be desperate to grab a victory to put some distance between themselves and the bottom sides. Alas, I think they may cancel each other out and a 1-1 draw could be the go.