It was a riveting week and a bit in NPL Victoria Round 21 action, with Bentleigh inflicting South Melbourne’s second only loss of the season – which allows Oakleigh to close the gap at the top of the table to four points should they beat Pascoe Vale on Sunday. Elsewhere, Werribee are closer to avoiding the drop following their victory over Dandenong City, who now themselves languish near the danger zone. Ballarat didn’t do their chances of survival any favours with a defeat against Green Gully, while Goulburn Valley Suns continue to enjoy some improved results under new coach David Davkovski, holding Bentleigh to a draw.
Bentleigh Greens 2 drew with Goulburn Valley Suns 2 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Table propping Goulburn Valley Suns’s late season form under new coach David Davkovski continues, pinching a hard fought point against 4th placed Bentleigh Greens.
It was a lucky 13th minute for Ryan De Vries, who opened the scoring for the hosts with a well struck effort. Zachary Foxhoven’s 38th minute penalty was saved, but he scored on the rebound to square the ledger, before David Stirton scored almost immediately after the restart to give the hosts the advantage at the break. With time running out in the second half, Ben Clarke found GVS’s equaliser after latching onto a chipped pass and rounding ‘keeper Alistair Bray.
Green Gully 2 defeated Ballarat Red Devils 1 at Green Gully Reserve
Green Gully survived a late onslaught from Ballarat to hold on to win and leave the visitors languishing in the relegation zone.
Gully started each half with a goal, as Brent Fisher tapped in a low cross just 12 minutes into the game, while Jason Hayne added a second in the 52nd minute. Gully did not look threatened for the duration of the contest up to that point, but a handball by Thomas Deng allowed Shaun Romein to peg a goal back just minutes later. Ballarat then advanced in waves at they tried to force the equaliser, but gloveman Kieran Gonzalez was up to the task, keeping the visitors at bay with a string of saves.
Hume City 2 defeated Port Melbourne Sharks 1 at Broadmeadows Valley Park
Two goals, accompanied by two red cards, were enough for Hume City to see off the challenge of Port Melbourne. In-form Abel Fesseha opened the scoring just before half time, while Richie Cardozo added a second from the penalty spot following a dubious handball.
A Johnny Stojcevski’s red card for a second offence gave the visitors an opportunity with the extra man to push forward, and the pressure paid off when a cross fortuitously rebounded off Cardozo into the back of his own net. Another second yellow card, this time to Joseph Franjic, left the visitors under more siege, but a nine man Hume held on for dear life until the final whistle to claim the three points.
Werribee City 2 defeated Dandenong Thunder 1 at Galvin Park
Mid-season signings Evan Batsis and Simon Tolli were again the heroes for Werribee City, who defeated fellow relegation rivals Dandenong City 2-1 in a classic six point contest.
Following a first half that saw plenty of chances but no goals, Batsis scored the opener in the 67th minute by connecting with Tolli’s cross, before the latter extraordinarily struck from half way after Zaim Zeneli came off his line, with the ball trickling into the net. Dandenong would live to rue missed opportunities throughout the game, with Bees’ ‘keeper Tommy Dunn and the woodwork denying them on various occasions. Matt Millar’s curling free kick deep into the contest acted as mere consolation for the hapless visitors.
Heidelberg United 2 defeated the Melbourne Knights 0 at Knights Stadium
Melbourne Knights’ miserable week continued, backing up its FFA Cup loss in Brisbane with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Heidelberg United.
In a fiery contest which yielded relatively few chances, Jack Petrie opened the scoring after half time in extraordinary circumstances. His corner kick bypassed everybody and curled into the net, capping a period of dominance for the hosts. NPL equal leading goalscorer Dan Heffernan sealed a deserved victory in the 83rd minute with an expert chip over the ‘keeper.
Northcote City 1 defeated by Oakleigh Cannons 3 at John Cain Memorial Park
An entertaining opening 20 minutes saw both teams trade blows, with Dean Piemonte’s 7th minute effort cancelled out by Wade Dekker’s 19th minute strike. No more goals ensued in the first half, but the second period saw early action as Andreas Govas’s free kick was spilled by the ‘keeper and pounced on by super sub Venton Korcari. With time running out and Northcote pushing for an equaliser, Nate Foster sealed a counter-attack with a clever finish, keeping the title race alive for Oakleigh.
Bentleigh Greens 2 defeated South Melbourne 1 at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
The midweek contest saw Bentleigh make up for its disappointing draw against Goulburn Valley with a sensational upset over table-topping South Melbourne, handing the visitors only their second defeat for the season.
Keeping one eye on its upcoming FFA Cup Tie against Blacktown City, Bentleigh gave many youth players a chance, and the gamble paid off. Two goals either side of the break to David Stirton and Jamie Cumming sealed the victory, with Tyson Holmes’s injury time strike the only consolation for South Melbourne, who have Oakleigh snapping at their heels on the NPL ladder.
NPL fixtures wrapped up by Mark Gojszyk (@hahahamark)
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It’s heating up at the top of the NPL 1 table as Box Hill’s loss to Bulleen means North Geelong have snatched second place, following their win against Bendigo.
However, only three points separate second and fifth spot, with North Geelong (34), Box Hil (33), Richmond (32) and St Albans (31) all in a tight tussle for the second promotion place, with table topping Avondale (45) holding an unassailable lead. But don’t yet rule out Moreland (29) or Bulleen (28), who are not too far behind, with the former especially enjoying a good run of form.
Whittlesea Ranges 1 defeated by Moreland Zebras at Epping Stadium
Tomislav Trbuhovich got the hosts off to an ideal start with a well struck left-footer on the edge of the box. Moreland looked rampaging all night, peppering Whittlesea’s goals at a rapid rate, though a combination of profligacy and a spirited performance from ‘keeper Dianoush Rasoulzaden-Syesan kept the visitors at bay for a long time.
There was an air of inevitability around Daniel Sweeney’s equaliser in the 74th minute, and it was all written in the stars as Scott Robson popped up in the 93rd minute to net home a dramatic winner for the Zebras.
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FC Bendigo 0 defeated by North Geelong Warriors 2 at Truscott Reserve
Two unanswered goals were enough for a regulation victory for promotion candidates North Geelong over strugglers Bendigo FC, with the former now sitting in second place on the NPL 1 ladder after Box Hill’s slip up.
In a heated contest that saw tackles fly and scuffles behind play, Mark Paleka struck early with a back post header, while Juso Julardzija added a second just after half time by pouncing on a loose ball in attack to seal the victory.
Sunshine George Cross 0 lost to Richmond SC 6 at Chaplin Reserve
Sunshine, often known for its defensive qualities, was at the mercy of a rampant Richmond on Saturday, who scored three goals in either half to storm home 6-0.
After a slow start to the season under Grant Brebner, Richmond are now gunning for promotion with Rick Mensink at the helm, and the visitors looked inspired all game. Armenian opened each half with a goal, with Flynn and Bissinger also striking in the first interval, while Oppermann and Tabor added to the tally in the second period.
Springvale White Eagles 4 defeated Brunswick City 2 at Serbian Sports Centre
Brunswick may have been excused for prematurely thinking they may be on the road to two historic wins on the trot in NPL 1. After Sanni Dauda opened the scoring for Springvale, City made the most of some sloppy defensive errors from the hosts to hit two goals from two shots.
Alas, it wasn’t to be for the visitors, as a spirited home side came out after the break to fire home three goals via Dauda’s second, a Vojo Milojevic header and a Slaven Vranesevic penalty, to wrap up the contest 4-2.
Read More > Mihajlovic: Defence could’ve cost us again
Avondale Heights 2 drew against St Albans Saints 2 at Avondale Heights Reserve
Recent FFA Cup heroes St Albans started their week with a hard fought away draw against table-topping Avondale. In a topsy turvy contest that saw both sides take a lead and claw back an equaliser at some point, Brodie Paterson and Barry Devlin’s goals were sandwiched in between Andrew Le Page’s brace. The action continued off the pitch, with both coaches vocal in their post match interviews.
St Albans’s Toby Paterson believed the refs had it in for them:
“I actually put up on the board before the game on the tactics and what the referee will do to go against us,” he said.
“We were absolutely cheated in this game. I think the referee gave everything to Avondale Heights.”
Meanwhile, Avondale’s Anthony Barbieri accused the Saints of playing the man, not the ball:
“One team tried to play football, another was here for a physical battle.”
Kingston City 0 defeated by Dandenong City 3 at Grange Reserve
Dandenong City is finding some late season form, with this clinical 3-0 victory over Kingston the next episode in a series of six unbeaten games.
Despite dominating early proceedings, Kingston could not make the most of its good play, and Dandenong made them pay. Sean Filipovic scored first in the 28th minute, while a four minute blitz later in the second half saw Sean Seavill and Karim El Hilali add to the visitors’ tally.
FC Bulleen Lions 2 defeated Box Hill United 0 at David Barro Stadium.
A crucial contest for both sides went the way of Bulleen, keeping their slim promotion hopes alive, while the loss for Box Hill means they slip out of the top two.
In a tight contest harbouring few chances, Katebian opened the scoring in the 40th minute, capitalizing on good wing play from Nishimoto, who was menacing all game. With time running out, Box Hill pressed high trying to force the equaliser, but Katebian secured his brace deep into extra time with a classic counter-attacking goal.
NPL 1 fixtures wrapped up by Mark Goszyk (@hahahamark)
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A freezing Friday night saw only two of the three planned WPL fixtures go ahead after Casey’s clash with Sandringham got called off. The other two games provided plenty of action for those brave few to take on mother nature. Monbulk looked good before succumbing to Bundoora United 3-2, with Box Hill and Bulleen Lions also played out a 3-2 result, with the former finishing on top.
South Melbourne came back from two goals behind to scupper the FFV U17 Girls’ potential upset. There was an upset which took place however, as second bottom Ashburton triumphed 1-0 over Heidelberg United.
The final game of the round saw Boroondara Eagles rout Cairnlea 5-0 to put to bed their 6-1 loss against Casey the week prior.
Monbulk Rangers 2 defeated by Bundoora United 3 at Monbulk Recreation Reserve
An upset was on the card early as the gutsy Monbulk Rangers eventually fell to Bundoora United on a – just about – sub zero night in Monbulk.
The conditions didn’t impede on what turned out to be a decent game of football as Monbulk started the brighter of the two clubs.
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An early spell of pressure saw captain Nikki Ceeney open the scoring for the Rangers, before Albanian international Elly Curo equalised with her near post effort.
Padiki Dade – who’s had a stellar year on the flank for Bundy – netted four minutes from the restart to give her side the lead, before Curo compounded the result with her second in her first start in Bundoora colours.
The US bound Emily Hulbert was presented with a parting gift as she hit home into an empty net from 6-yards to round off the scoring.
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Box Hill United 3 defeated FC Bulleen Lions 2 at Wembley Park
The other Friday game saw a matching score line as hosts Box Hill United triumphed over Bulleen Lions, who’s title hopes took a big hit as they slipped five points adrift of runaway leaders South Melbourne.
It was the away side that got the first goal, and it came through Melbourne Victory midfielder Cindy Lay in the eighth minute.
Devastating short spells either side of the break saw Box Hill net three unanswered – Letizia Sammut earning a penalty in the 28th and scoring herself two minutes later; Madelaine Richardson converting a free-kick – with Bulleen only able to find a consolation through Emily Coppock.
South Melbourne Womens 4 defeated FFV Under 17 Girls 2 at Lakeside Stadium
The NTC girls looked a real threat of pulling off an upset victory over ladder leaders South Melbourne after earning themselves a 2-0 lead within the first 11 minutes.
Annabelle Martin struck in the fifth minute before Beattie Goad’s 11th minute effort put them two goals up. But it was a case of going ahead too early, as it gave South the time to compose themselves and launch a fight back, which kicked off with Jess Au’s 23rd minute lob which saw the sides head into the break at 2-1.
It was the Spiranovic show after the break as she wreaked havoc over the FFV side. With Tiff Eliadis tying things up just beyond the hour mark, it was Spiranovic who won a penalty – converted by Eliadis – before nodding home herself to seal the points.
The win extended South’s lead at the top to five points with a game in hand.
Ashburton Womens 1 defeated Heidelberg United 0 at Ashburton Park
A massive result took place as second from bottom Ashburton upset title chasing Heidelberg United by a single goal. Standout games from both talismanic centre-back Christine Pfeiffer and goalkeeper Alex Pocklington kept the Heidelberg forwards at bay.
In the end it was a spot kick converted by Jesse Kotsikas that split the two sides; with Angie Rassias earning the penalty after being brought down in the box.
The loss leaves Heidelberg outside of the play-off positions while for Ashburton, the prospects of safety were given a much needed boost.
Cairnlea FC 0 defeated by Boroondara Eagles 5 at Cairnlea Park
Boroondara did some late damage to inflict a rather convincing 5-0 hiding of Cairnlea FC on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps exorcising themselves of the demons of their own humiliating loss last week – 6-1 at the hands of Casey Comets – the Eagles were concice in their late dismantlement of the hosts, with Ellen Turner putting them on the right path with her 14th minute goal.
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Bindi Bryce continued on with her goal scoring form to net just before half-time before Boroondara closed the game off with a flurry of action. Turner completed her brace in the 84th minute before Ash Callaghan tapped home.
The afternoon was capped off with a stinging free-kick from defender Leah Barrett in injury time.
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WPL fixtures wrapped up by Jordan Lim (@JordanLim24)