With only four rounds remaining before finals and teams trying hard to keep their momentum, round 18 of Victorian Premier League has seen a bit of a shake up. The league leader Northcote City’s last match ended in a defeat to the last on the ladder Southern Stars, showing finals can be anyone’s game.
Northcote’s grip on the top of the ladder loosened, and round 18 saw three other Greek-sponsored clubs in the top-five – Bentleigh Greens, Port Melbourne Sharks and South Melbourne.
Another Greek derby is secluded tonight, as Bentleigh Greens host Northcote City in one of the first matches of the round 19.
The Hercules Boys will need to show their mental strength above all, as they enter the game with one of the biggest upsets last week, losing 0-1 to the bottom placed Southern Stars.
The 2013 season leader of the premiership, Northcote has managed to win only one game in last seven played, allowing Melbourne Knights to creep up, with only 3 points behind them. Last weekend, the Knights beat Bentleigh Greens 3-2 in a tight game.
Tonight, Dandenong Thunder host second on the ladder Melbourne Knights, aware that only a win from this encounter can give them a spot in the finals. The Knights will enter the encounter following the mid-week departure of their second half of the season star, Ljubo Milicevic.
Defender Milicevic will now be shining in the A-League, with Perth Glory signing the player. In round 18, Thunder played draw with Pascoe Vale (2-2).
Tomorrow, Green Gully Cavaliers will host Richmond at their Green Gully Reserve. Cavaliers were outdone by Port Melbourne Sharks in round 18 (1-2), while the Richmond side will enter the match with a boost of confidence, after winning top-five Hume City (2-1).
This will be the Cavaliers’ third match in a week, after they played South Melbourne mid-week and reached the State Knockout Cup Grand Final. A win for Green Gully would place the team in top-three calculations.
Eric Vassiliadis’ Sharks may have had an easy task to encounter 12th on the ladder Southern Stars tomorrow, but after the Stars’ monumental and first in the season victory against Northcote City last weekend, the last on the ladder side is not to be diminished.
Last weekend, Sharks carved out a victory over Green Gully, that has seen the Port Melbourne side climb to the fourth position. Not bad for Sharks’ first VPL season in 10 years.
Hume City and Oakleigh Cannons will play on Sunday, in what will be a sixth versus ninth match. The Hume side has been losing its momentum lately, with their own coach labelling their loss to Richmond as ’embarrassing’. Hume City loss to Richmond was their third in a row. Oakleigh Cannons lost their round 18 home game and Greek derby to South Melbourne (1-2).
On Sunday, South Melbourne will host Pascoe Vale, revived and full of confidence after their round 17 whopping 6-1 win to Hume City, and last weekend’s away win to Cannons, that put them in the top five.
Newly promoted Pascoe Vale, the second-lowest scoring team in the VPL, seems to be improving towards the end of the premiership as it scored seven goals in its past three matches.
Fixtures:
Bentleigh Greens v Northcote City
Fri 8:15pm, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Dandenong Thunder v Melbourne Knights
Fri 8:30pm, George Andrews Reserve
Green Gully Cavaliers v Richmond
Sat 3:00pm, Green Gully Reserve
Southern Stars v Port Melbourne Sharks
Sat 6:00pm, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Hume City v Oakleigh Cannons
Sun 3:00pm, Broadmeadows Valley Park
South Melbourne v Pascoe Vale
Sun 5:00pm, Lakeside Stadium