If you can judge according to opponents, the VPL 2013 season will bring some exciting games in its third round. It started last night with an top of the table Greek derby between Bentleigh Greens and South Melbourne, and two promoted sides – Port Melbourne and Pascoe Vale meeting for the first time in the VPL at the Sharks ground.
Last weekend, Bentleigh Greens continued its impressive start to the 2013 VPL season, with a 3-0 win over champion Dandenong Thunder, who played with 10 men for most of the second half and behind closed doors. Tsolakis’ men from South Melbourne won Southern Stars 3-0 away from home.
Following round two where every away team won, ending up with the four teams having a 100% record playing, the third round brings interesting encounters and only two teams will finish this round with three wins.
After continuing its excellent start to the season with a 1-0 win over Pascoe Vale last Friday night, Northcote City will go for its third win when it hosts Melbourne Knights on Sunday.
Goran Lozanovski squad was hard to stop last weekend, even after the goalkeeper Frazer Siddall was sent off in the first half, with Northcote left to play with 10 men for over 55 minutes.
“I absolutely can’t complain that we won the game. But the truth is it wasn’t the best start to the first half of the game. We were probably under a lot of pressure, but in the second half we showed a lot of character – we were playing with only 10 men, but we held out and pinched a goal,” Northcote coach Goran Lozanovski tells Neos Kosmos.
However, the Hercules boys will have to improve as a group, says Lozanovski.
“It has improved already – obviously it’s better in key positions of the ball. Positions are crucial for us, in order to get better over the next couple of weeks.”
On Sunday, both the Hercules boys and Melbourne Knights will be fighting to retain their 100% record playing in the previous two rounds. It will be a very physical and competitive game, says Northcote coach, after Knights won 1-4 against Richmond last weekend.
“I think the strengths of Melbourne Knights is that they’ve got a young playing group and a lot of good potential players in the group – even though they are missing three players, they still got fabulous results, and that shows they are pretty good. On top of that, it is going to be a physical game, as Andrew Marth is coaching them, and he was that type of player. So we are expecting a very physical and very competitive game. So we need to be on our toes on the first whistle and make sure we compete physically with them – and I think the score should come on top,” Lozanovski says.
The VPL third round will bring a hard task for Oakleigh Cannons, as last year’s grand finalists sit on the bottom of the ladder after second defeat in two rounds from newly promoted Port Melbourne last weekend. Eric Vassiliadis’ Sharks came out of the battle with Cannons with three points (1-3).
Oakleigh will travel to Green Gully Reserve on Saturday, with Cavaliers coming into the match after the 4-1 win against Hume City away from home.
The reigning Dandenong Thunder and pre-season favourite will host Richmond this Saturday. The current champion has failed to win the first two rounds’ games, adding to the negative start of the season with three points deducted and five home games to be played behind closed doors.
After both teams were defeated at home in the second round, Southern Stars and Hume City will try to prove themselves and regain confidence in their match on Saturday.