NPL 1 League leaders Avondale FC, Bentleigh Greens and Heidelberg United have each made flying starts to the season taking maximum points from their five opening round matches with the Bergers having played a game less.
It’s fair to say that the Greens have exceeded expectation despite being perennial high achievers in the past. This season, John Anastasiadis’s team were expected to take some time to get going given the substantial squad turnover in the off season. However, last Friday’s 2-1 home win against the Melbourne Knights was its fifth of the season and required a come from behind effort in the second half thanks to goals to Jason Hicks and Matt Thurtell.
The win prompted coach Anastasiadis to describe the team effort in achieving the result as ” extraordinary…. The character was sensational. I enjoyed the victory today because the boys showed they could really do it even when they go down.”
That same evening, across town, the Bergers faced an even greater test of character with a physical, exhausting and tense struggle which ultimately ended in victory against Pascoe Vale. Trailing 2-0 at the break and being a man down after the first half dismissal of midfielder Jack Petrie, the Bergers came out strongly, determined to turn the contest around after being fired up by a half time speech from coach George Katsakis.
A second half hat trick to Bergers striker Tom Cahill turned defeat into victory for the Bergers in a game which will live long in the memory of the Bergers fans. Cahill’s goals put the Bergers in front and they hung on for a famous victory despite finishing the game with just nine men after Lewis Hall’s sending off with ten minutes remaining.
Last Monday, in what was probably the upset of the round, Kingston City went down 1-0 at home to the previously pointless Dandenong Thunder. Thunder won its first match of the new campaign thanks to an errant back pass by Kingston defender Jack Atkinson which beat his own keeper Kile Kennedy for the game’s only goal. City remains in the top six.
The newly promoted teams Northcote City and Dandenong Thunder have taken time to find their feet in the new competition, but like Thunder, City scored its maiden win of the season in yet another thrilling come from behind result.
City gave its fans a memorable result defeating South Melbourne 3-2 at home in a see-sawing Greek derby which saw the Northcote first take the lead through an 18th minute Charlie Beverley header, before losing the lead to goals to Nick Epifano and Milos Lujic. Thomas Barforosh equalized for Hercules in the second half before new signing, winger Lucas Derrick scored an injury time winner for Northcote City.
The result was a timely boost in confidence for Northcote City. Coach Eric Vassiliadis will be hoping for another win against State league club Mazenod today in their 4th round FFA cup tie today before next week’s local derby against powerful neighbour Heidelberg United.
South Melbourne FC may have a new coach this season but its start this year resembles that of last season with just one win from its first five matches, the 9-0 thrashing of Dandenong Thunder. Fans will be hoping for a similar turnaround to last season when the team finished in second place on the table and reached the FFA Cup semi-finals. On Good Friday yesterday, they were scheduled to play a tough 4th round FFA Cup tie away to Hume City.
Another team, which South Melbourne has provided with its only league win thus far this season, Oakleigh Cannons have also begun slowly, as they did last year. The Cannons have suffered injuries to key players early in the campaign. They lost their most recent league outing 2-1 away to Green Gully after goals to Nick Krousoratis and Kieran Dover gave Gully a 2-0 lead before a 78th minute Giuseppe Marafioti goal halved the deficit for the Cannons.
Despite the underwhelming start, the team gave fans an FFA Cup win to cheer about last Wednesday when goals to Wade Dekker and Ryan Paczkowski gave the Cannons a 2-0 win over NPL 2 neighbours Eastern Lions at Jack Edwards Reserve.
Port Melbourne Sharks sit in ninth place on the NPL1 ladder following a 1-1 home draw against Hume City last weekend.
The Sharks have a tough 4th round FFA Cup tie this Saturday at home to Pascoe Vale. Kick off is at 6.00 pm.