Another victorious weekend on the pitch for the Greek Aussie teams. The Trojan Horse may have failed, but these clubs really know how to deliver.
Dandenong City – South Melbourne
South Melbourne completely ran over their opponents like an unstoppable train. Meanwhile, Alexandros and Oakleigh were struggling against Moreland and St Albans, making South’s Friday night game at City’s gorgeous ground on the border of Dandenong and Endeavour Hills a piece of cake in comparison.
Supporters of the Greek Australian team were treated to a fantastic evening at the Frank Holohan Soccer Complex, feasting on delicious canteen food while their team effortlessly scored four goals.
Coach Quintas’ squad maintained their dominance throughout the game, with top scorer Harrison Sawyer snagging the first goal in just 12 minutes. They were already up 2-0 by the 27th minute, thanks to an impressive header from Ross Archibald.
Then Sawyer scored a penalty in the 42nd minute, before finishing off his hat trick in the 68th minute. The second half was just more proof that City was no match for South Melbourne’s powerhouse performance. Talk about strength and improvement week after week
Heidelberg United – Moreland City
Alexandros’ valiant efforts were unsuccessful in… resurrecting Moreland.
Prior to their visit to Heidelberg, the visitors held the last spot in the table with zero points, having conceded twenty goals and scored only five.
However, on Friday night, they managed to surprise Alexandros and show a more competitive side.
In the 29th minute, Ukuno scored a goal, putting Alexandros’ team back on the scoreboard. It took Heidelberg a full 30 minutes to equalize against the visitors’ goal.
As the crowd started to grumble, Kaine Sheppard took on Moreland’s defense and tied the game with a precise shot.
Three minutes later, the stadium erupted in cheers as Elis turned the game around with a beautiful effort and a powerful shot. However, the visitors were not done yet. Exploiting a mistake in Alexandros defense, they brought the score to 2-2 with Corey Thomas.
As time passed, the hosts struggled to find a response to Moreland’s resistance.
In the 90th minute, Joshua Pin appeared out of nowhere to score a close-range goal, securing their team three valuable points.
Despite being a tough match, it filled the team’s fans with optimism and pride. The fans ran to fill their stadium’s large yellow-black stand, creating a beautiful football atmosphere that honored Heidelberg United’s history and size.
Oakleigh Cannons – St Albans Saint
Friday night’s face-off between the Cannons and Saints in Oakleigh was more intense than a cheese tasting between a mouse and a pack of cats.
While team leader Joe Guest scored a perfect penalty in the 8th minute, the rest of the night was a nail-biting mix of passion and anxiety for the home team’s fans at Jack Edwards.
The visitors took advantage of the shaky defense and equalized just before halftime with a header by Razumic. The Saints striker seemed to be having a great time, as he effortlessly put his team ahead with a spectacular goal at the start of the second half. However, the Oakleigh crew was not giving up that easily.
In the 72nd minute, young gun Kasumovic silenced the doubters with a beautiful goal, his first in Oakleigh.
But wait, there’s more! In the 82nd minute, he wowed the crowd with a jaw-dropping curved shot that landed flawlessly in the visitors’ net, sending the Cannons fans into a frenzy.
The Saints just couldn’t catch up in the remaining time, and Oakleigh clinched a massive win, keeping them in 5th place, just seven points behind the top dogs.
Talk about a wild ride.
Green Gully – Port Melbourne Sharks
Port Melbourne took home the gold with a heroic win over Green Gully.
The Sharks once again dominated the field and swam away with a victory in one of the toughest grounds in the NPL.
Peters made it rain with his fifth goal of the season in the 29th minute.
But the home team wasn’t going down without a fight, as their usual superstar, Luca Tevere, made some waves with a goal in the 42nd minute.
Green Gully’s efforts weren’t enough to rock the boat for the visitors.
In the 70th minute, Peters won a penalty which Courtney-Perkins delivered with ease two minutes later.
It looks like “Nea Hellas” is on fire and ready to make a splash in the league.
VPL1
Looks like the Greek gods (aka the VPL1 teams) had a smashing weekend!
The unstoppable Hercules of Northcote conquered Werribee with a 2-1 victory, securing their spot in second place behind Melbourne Victory.
Meanwhile, Brunswick City dominated their home turf in a nail-biting match against Western United, and Bentleigh Greens showed off their skills with a 4-0 away win against George Cross.
These teams are definitely feeling like champions and aiming high!
VPL2
After several less-than-impressive performances, Box Hill finally got their act together and snagged a long-awaited win against Boroondara – Carey Eagles on a lovely Saturday afternoon.
They left no doubt that their only goal was victory, determined to rise from the bottom of the heap.
The visiting team put on a show with their impressive skills, providing plenty of thrills for the footie fanatics in the crowd.
And with a solid 2-0 victory, Pythagoras has officially climbed its way up to ninth place.
NPL – RESULTS
Heidelberg United – Moreland United 3 – 2 (61′ K. Sheppard, 64′ S. Ellis, 90′ J. Pin – 66′ C. Thomas)
Dandenong City – South Melbourne 0 – 4 (12′ H. Sawyer, 27′ R. Archibald, 43′ H. Sawyer [P], 68′ H. Sawyer)
Oakleigh Cannons – St Albans Saints 3 – 2 (8′ J Guest [P], 72′ A. Kasumovic, 82′ A. Kasumovic – 45′ J. Divin, 46′ I. Razumic)
Green Gully – Port Melbourne Sharks 1 – 2 (42′ L. Tevere – 29′ E. Peters, 72′ J. Courtney – Perkins [P])
Manningham United – Hume City 1 – 3 (31′ X. Theodorakopoulos – 73′ A. Abdallah, 80′ L. Isgrove, 86′ J. Bingham)
Altona Magic – Melbourne Knights 1 – 0 (75′ D. Anastovski)
Dandenong Thunder – Avondale 0 – 8 (14′ S. Zinni, 34′ Y. Ahmed, 52′ S. Zinni, 60′ Y. Ahmed, 67′ G. Ott, 75′ L. Diaz, 78′ S. Zinni, 87′ Carpenter [A])
NPL – TABLE
Teams Matches Points
1. South Melbourne 10 26
2. Avondale 10 23
3. Heidelberg Utd 10 22
4. Hume City 10 22
5. Oakleigh Cannons 10 19
6. Port Melb Sharks 10 18
7. Dand City 10 13
8. Melb Knights 10 11
9. Altona Magic 10 10
10. Manningham 10 9
11. Green Gully 10 8
12. Dand Thunder 10 8
13. St. Albans 10 7
14. Moreland 10 0
VPL1 – RESULTS
Werribee City – Northcote City 1 – 2
Brunswick City – Western United 2 – 1
North Geelong Warriors – Eastern Lions 1 – 1
Langwarrin – Melbourne Victory 1 – 3
Caroline Springs George Cross – Bentleigh Greens 0 – 4
Melbourne City – Preston Lions 0 – 3
Bulleen Lions – Kingston City*
*This match was played on Monday evening (22/4)
VPL1 – TABLE
Teams Matches Points
1. Melb Victory 10 26
2. Northcote 10 19
3. Preston Lions 10 18
4. Langwarrin 10 17
5. Western Utd 10 16
6. Brunswick City 10 16
7. Bentl Greens 10 16
8. Bulleen Lions 9 15
9. Kingston 9 13
10. Carol Springs 10 9
11. Eastern Lions 10 8
12. Melb City 10 7
13. Werribee City 10 6
14. North Geelong 10 1
VPL2 – RESULTS
Brunswick Juventus – Pascoe Vale 2 – 0
Essendon Royals – North Sunshine Eagles 1 – 1
Beaumaris – Altona City 1 – 2
Nunawading City – Goulburn Valley Suns 3 – 1
Boroondara Carey Eagles – Box Hill United 0 – 2
FC Melbourne Srbija – Doveton 1 – 0
VPL2 – TABLE
Teams Matches Points
1. Brun Juventus 6 15
2. Altona City 6 14
3. Nth Sunsh. Eagles 6 12
4. Essendon Royals 6 12
5. FC Melb. Serbia 6 11
6. Boroondara Eagles 6 10
7. Nunawading City 6 10
8. Pascoe Vale 6 9
9. Box Hill United 6 6
10. Goulburn V. Suns 6 1
11. Doveton 6 0
12. Beaumaris 6 0
