South Melbourne was held to a 1-1 draw away to the Melbourne Knights at Mansion Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
South dominated the opening 45 minutes and took a deserved lead through Josef Yusef, the midfielder capitalising on an empty net with a neat finish that capped off South’s bright beginning.
Francesco Stella had a particularly good half, tormenting the Knights on the right wing, while Goran Zoric patrolled the left.
The Knights were on level terms barely two minutes after the restart, equalising through Greg Draper from a header after the home side had earned a corner.
South had several half chances to retake the lead, but the side lacked polish up front, with Yusef in particular failing to test the keeper despite bearing down on the home custodian in a one-on-one situation.
Despite claiming just one point, South remain in second spot on the VPL table with 26 points, with South’s superior goal difference separating them from third place Altona.
The winner of Heidelberg and Hume City will leap-frog Altona into third and join them on 26 points also, while a draw will keep both sides in fifth and sixth place.
On Friday night, Oakleigh Cannons could only manage a 2-1 win over second-from-bottom, Whittlesea Zebras.
Juan Nilo and Jerry Karpeh scored both goals for the Cannons. Oakleigh are away to Sunshine George Cross next week, at Chaplin Reserve, a ground notoriously difficult to play on given its state of general disrepair.
Heidelberg face Altona Magic away from home, in a match will undoubtedly influence the VPL Top 5, while South Melbourne is at home to Whittlesea Zebras on Sunday at 3pm at Bob Jane Stadium.