Chris Taylor’s team grabbed a brilliant away win in one of the toughest grounds in the league, thanks to a Jordan Hall goal in the dying seconds. The big clash had it all: intensity, tough battles all over the pitch, and of course, an endless hunger for the win, clear in the faces and moves of the players from both sides.
Preston came out of the blocks firing, moving the ball around well and often creating danger for the Greek Aussie team’s defense.
The Lions’ dominance soon turned into a goal, with Romero making it 1-0 in the 16th minute, sending the thousands of their fans into raptures – they packed the Genis Steel Stadium stands once again. But Cannons didn’t take long to respond. The team’s leader, and arguably the league’s best player, Joe Guest, leveled the score, sending the two sides into the sheds locked at 1-1.
The home side wasted no time after the break, scoring a carbon copy of Guest’s goal to take the lead again. But the great Guest was there again to pull his team out of the fire, converting a penalty in the 67th minute to make it 2-2, with about 25 minutes left on the clock. In the remaining minutes, both teams went all-out for the win. The clock was ticking down, chances were missed, and everyone started to think it was going to end in a draw.
But they hadn’t counted on Jordan Hall. Cannons’ towering defender popped up in the Lions’ box like a bolt from the blue, and his unstoppable header in the final seconds made it 2-3, leaving the thousands of Preston fans frozen, trying to figure out what just happened. It was a truly gutsy away win for the Oakleigh side, who are showing they’ve got the goods to take the title for the second straight season.
Heidelberg United also bagged a huge away win on Friday night. The Alexander the Great of Australian football visited Dandenong City’s home with one goal in mind: the three points. They got the job done, and without too much trouble. They were the better side throughout the match and could have easily scored more, if their strikers had been a bit sharper. But they got the win, and that’s what counts in the context of the league.
Bul Juach was the difference-maker once again. The skillful attacking midfielder showed his class and strong character when he stepped up to take the penalty. He did it twice. Scored two goals, led his team by the hand, and they all left Dandenong happy, with the precious three points. A win that puts United even closer to the top of the table and fills the club’s fans with optimism.
South Melbourne Hellas, on the other hand, seems to be drifting further away from the top. Esteban Quintas’s team showed a better face than in previous games, but couldn’t get more than a draw. Hellas started the game strongly, creating the better chances and showing dominance that naturally led to a 0-1 lead, thanks to Andy Brennan’s goal in the 22nd minute. From then on, the visitors eased off a bit, tightened up their defense, and mainly played a passive role for the rest of the first half.
The Greek Aussie team’s game was similar at the start of the second half. Few attacking efforts, pointless ball movement, and a desire to see out the game with only one goal separating the two sides. But that tactic didn’t work. The home side upped the tempo, and Isgrove’s beautiful goal in the 62nd minute leveled the match, with about half an hour left. After that, both teams were looking for a goal, but without much urgency. Neither side took big risks, and the game ended in a draw, which leaves Hellas quite a distance from where their fans dream of them being – the top of the table.
Nea Hellas’s disappointing form continues, both on the pitch and on the scoreboard. Port Melbourne travelled to St Albans on Friday night and copped a proper hiding, going down 3-0.
The visitors started the game with a tight defensive setup, clearly aiming to keep it solid at the back first and then try to create some danger going forward. They managed to hold out until the 47th minute of the first half when Gulevski broke the deadlock for the home side.
In the second half, St Albans ran riot. They bagged another two goals, securing a comfortable win that plunged Port Melbourne even deeper into the doldrums. Hellas looks completely clueless on how to turn things around, and their form in these first seven games of the season has been nothing short of woeful.
VPL1
Leonidas won the big Greek-Aussie derby in Round 7 of the VPL1. The Brunswick team hosted Clarinda in a match that had it all. Five goals, beautiful football, passion, and an endless desire to win the three points. The home side proved more effective in front of goal and eventually grabbed a big 3-2 win. The “giant” Pancyprios also won again, with the same scoreline. George Katsakis’s team refuses to hit the brakes, striking fear into every opponent they face. The Greens’ latest victim was George Cross. The visitors fought hard, but couldn’t resist the Greens’ superiority and left Cheltenham defeated 3-2.
Iraklis couldn’t handle Langwarrin. The Northcote side tried to get something out of the game but didn’t manage it. The visitors showed great cohesion, which naturally led them to a 1-0 victory.
VPL2
Pythagoras secured a huge 3-2 home win. The Box Hill team seems to have put their slow start to the season behind them, played good football, scored three nice goals, and beat Geelong with an impressive 3-2 scoreline. With this win, United reached 10 points and climbed to 6th place on the ladder.
NPL – Results
Melbourne Knights – Melbourne Victory 1 – 2 (82′ S. Lawless – 18′ J. Michailidis, 70′ J. Hoey)
Dandenong City – Heidelberg United 0 – 2 (61′, 89′ B. Juach [P])
Preston Lions – Oakleigh Cannons 2 – 3 (16′ J. Romero, 49′ C. Bell – 32′, 67′ J. Guest, 90+4′ J. Hall)
Hume City – South Melbourne 1 – 1 (62′ L. Isgrove – 22′ A. Brennan)
Altona Magic – Green Gully 0 – 0
Dandenong Thunder – Avondale 2 – 1 (30′ Y. Uchida, 79′ D. Clark – 41′ D. Edwards)
St Albans Saints – Port Melbourne Sharks 3 – 0 (45+2′ J. Gulevski, 49′ J. Divin, 90+8′ L. Byrns)
NPL – Standings
1. Avondale 7 18
2. Dand Thunder 7 16
3. Oakleigh Cannons 7 13
4. Heidelberg Utd 7 13
5. Preston Lions 7 11
6. Hume City 7 11
7. St. Albans 7 10
8. Mel Victory NPL 7 8
9. South Melbourne 7 8
10. Dand City 7 7
11. Altona Magic 7 5
12. Green Gully 7 6
13. Melb Knights 7 6
14. Port Melb Sharks 6 3
VPL1 – Results
Northcote – Langwarrin 0 – 1
Brunswick City – Kingston City 3 – 2
Moreland City – Western United 4 – 4
Bentleigh Greens – Caroline Springs 3 – 2
Manningham United – Bulleen Lions 1 – 2
Eastern Lions – North Sunshine Eagles 1 – 1
Melbourne City – Melbourne Srbija 2 – 2
VPL1 – Standings
1. Bentl Greens 7 18
2. Melb City 7 15
3. Western Utd 7 14
4. Bulleen Lions 7 13
5. Carol Springs 7 12
6. Brunswick City 7 12
7. Kingston 7 10
8. Northcote 7 9
9. Manningham 7 8
10. North Sunshine 7 7
11. Melbourne SRBIJA 7 5
12. Moreland 7 5
13. Langwarrin 7 4
14. Eastern Lions 7 2
