South Melbourne – Manningham United
As the rest of the teams wither away, South Melbourne’s energy is still going strong. Wins, losses, and draws are just a piece of cake for them – they’re constantly charging ahead.
Facing off against Manningham United for matchday 17 of the NPL, the table leaders once again put on a show-stopping performance on Friday night.
From the kick-off, it was clear who was setting the pace – the home team. And with a smooth score by rising star Mihailo Marinkovic in the 11th minute, the game was theirs to control.
At halftime, coach Equintas made a move that proved to be sheer genius – bringing on Andy Brennan. With a brilliant assist from Sawyer, the skilled attacking midfielder easily tucked in a goal in the 67th minute. And just like that, it was a 2-0 victory for South Melbourne.
Despite the opposing team’s best efforts, Hellas has its sights set on the title and won’t let anything stop them. With their unstoppable offense, solid defense, and relentless collection of points, it looks like the historic South Melbourne squad is on an unstoppable path to claim this year’s championship with mathematician-like precision.
Green Gully – Heidelberg United
It was not a great weekend for Heidelberg United Alexandros. The “yellow and black” team suffered a red card, a case of attcking fumbles, and a lack of scoring prowess as they were taken down by Green Gully.
Coach John Anastasiadis’s squad had to overcome the challenge of playing with one less player for most of the match thanks to a strict referee. It’s safe to say the odds were not in their favour.
But like a determined underdog, the outnumbered visitors refused to back down and pushed for a positive outcome.
Unfortunately, their efforts were foiled in the 53rd minute when Shifa Ahmed expertly weaved through defenders and scored a goal to make it 1 – 0.
Just before the final whistle blew, another goal from Adolph Koudakpo sealed the victory for Green Gully, leaving Heidelberg United scratching their heads.
The “black and yellow” crew better put in some serious elbow grease if they want to keep up with South Melbourne, Oakleigh, and Avondale. Pressure’s on!
Port Melbourne Sharks – Hume City
In a shocking turn of events, Port Melbourne was served a heaping plate of Hume City’s impressive skills on Saturday afternoon. With ease, the visitors dominated the match and clinched a well-deserved victory, leaving Port Melbourne feeling a little out of their league.
Lloyd Isgrove proved his precision with a header in the 35th minute, followed by a spectacular team play that resulted in Gulevski making it 0-2 just four minutes later. It was a masterclass performance that sealed the deal for Hume City.
Despite their best efforts, the hosts were no match for Hume City’s dominance and succumbed to defeat with a third goal in the 76th minute. Abdallah, a player known for his talents, put on a show as he dashed down the field and nailed a shot that ricocheted off the right bar and into the net.
Talk about a top-notch goal from a top-notch player in the league.
VPL1
The highly anticipated Northcote City vs Preston Lions showdown ended in a draw, leaving neither team with a victory. It was a battle of epic proportions on the field, with both sides giving their all. Despite their valiant efforts, they had to settle for a tie.
The first goal was scored by Connor Bell, the fearless leader of the visitors, in the 36th minute. But the home team, refusing to go down without a fight, came back strong and brought their fans to their feet with a goal from Lever in the 78th minute.
As the game neared its end, the mighty Hercules attempted to snatch the win, only to be thwarted by the formidable defensive “Lions” of Preston.
Kingston City Clarinda proved they were the away team with the most swag last weekend as they dominated Werribee with a smashing 2-4 scoreline. The Red and Whites had no mercy as they took home three points and left their opponents in awe.
The Bentleigh Greens had a rough go against the youthful dynamos of Western United. Unfortunately, George Katsakis’ squad couldn’t hit their stride and were soundly thrashed 4-1 by the tenacious skilled United.
Brunswick City put up a valiant fight against Melbourne City, but unfortunately they were forced to walk away from the stadium with a disappointing 2-1 loss.
VPL2
Box Hill United Pythagoras put up a good fight against the North Sunshine Eagles, but the math just didn’t add up in their favor. Despite their efforts, they had to count on a loss with a final score of 1-2 on home turf.
NPL – RESULTS
South Melbourne – Manningham United 2 – 0 (11′ M. Marinkovic, 67′ A. Brennan)
Green Gully- Heidelberg United 2 – 0 (53′ S. Ahmed, 90+4′ A. Koudakpo)
Avondale – Moreland City 5 – 1 (30′ G. Ott, 60′ Y. Towns [P], 63′ A. Centaro, 77′ S. Vargas, 83′ B. Carpenter [P] – 90+3′ F. Fulton)
Port Melbourne Sharks – Hume City 0 – 3 (35′ L. Isgrove, 39′ J. Gulevski, 76′ A. Abdallah)
Dandenong Thunder – Altona Magic 0 – 4 (34′ S. Lawless, 57′ B. Juach, 69′ S. Lawless, 85′ S. Moukachar)
St Albans Saints – Melbourne Knights 1 – 2 (80′ M. Grgic – 28′ C. Bramwell, 68′ M. Hore)
Oakleigh Cannons – Dandenong City*
*This match took place on Monday afternoon (10/6)
NPL – TABLE
1. South Melbourne 17 44
2. Avondale 17 39
3. Oakleigh Cannons 16 37
4. Heidelberg Utd 17 33
5. Hume City 17 33
6. Port Melb Sharks 17 28
7. Dand City 16 22
8. Altona Magic 17 20
9. Melb Knights 17 19
10. Green Gully 17 19
11. Dand Thunder 17 15
12. Manningham 17 10
13. St. Albans 17 7
14. Moreland 17 7
VPL1 – RESULTS
Werribee City – Kingston City 2 – 3
Northcote City – Preston Lions 1 – 1
Langwarrin – Caroline Springs 3 – 2
Melbourne City – Brunswick City 2 – 1
Western United – Bentleigh Greens 4 – 1
Bulleen Lions – North Geelong Warriors 1 – 0
Eastern Lions – Melbourne Victory 1 – 3
VPL1 – TABLE
1. Melb Victory 17 38
2. Western Utd 17 33
3. Preston Lions 17 32
4. Northcote 17 32
5. Bentl Greens 17 25
6. Bulleen Lions 17 24
7. Langwarrin 17 24
8. Melb City 17 23
9. Brunswick City 17 19
10. Kingston 17 18
11. Eastern Lions 17 18
12. Carol Springs 17 16
13. Werribee City 17 12
14. North Geelong 17 10
VPL2 – RESULTS
Box Hill United – North Sunshine Eagles 1 – 2
Essendon Royals – Doveton City 2 – 2
Beaumaris – Pascoe Vale 2 – 3
Boroondara Carey Eagles – Nunawading City 2 – 0
Brunswick Juventus – Goulburn Valley Suns 3 – 2
FC Melbourne Srbija – Altona City 1 – 0
VPL2 – TABLE
1. Nth Sunsh. Eagles 13 29
2. FC Melb. Serbia 13 29
3. Brun Juventus 13 26
4. Altona City 13 26
5. Essendon Royals 13 19
6. Boroondara Eagles 13 19
7. Pascoe Vale 12 18
8. Nunawading City 13 16
9. Box Hill 13 15
10. Goulburn Valley 13 8
11. Doveton 12 7
12. Beaumaris 13 4
