With just eight rounds remaining in the 2016 NPL 1, July looms as a crucial month for relegation-embattled Northcote City. Currently sitting in the automatic relegation spot of 13th on the ladder, City is just two points behind Richmond which occupies the play-off spot, although City has played one game more than Richmond.
This Sunday’s away game to Heidelberg United is the first of five July games for Northcote. While the Bergers are in third spot, the other four matches in July are against teams directly above City on the ladder, and include fellow relegation candidates Avondale and Richmond, in what will be must-win matches if Goran Lozanovski’s team is to claw itself out of the relegation zone.
The Bergers and South Melbourne did Northcote City a favour last week by narrowly defeating Avondale and Richmond respectively. Not that City can expect any favours this Sunday from Heidelberg in the local derby. It certainly got none in the Rd 6 encounter against the Bergers at John Cain Reserve earlier this season when Heidelberg romped away to a 6-1 win in the second half, in a result which probably delivered a fatal blow to then coach Gymnopoulos’ tenure as senior coach.
Since then much has changed at Northcote under new coach Goran Lozanovski, and the Bergers can expect to face a team almost unrecognisable compared to their first meeting.
Northcote City’s match day squad, which drew against Green Gully last round, contained no less than 12 new players, and included just three players – Karvouniaris, Petrovski and Bounas – who were in the squad against the Bergers earlier in the season.
Coach Lozanovski’s squad has more attacking options but he’s also recruited players who have a stronger physical presence, and are better conditioned, qualities which he sees as vital if his team has to try and grind out results and battle to the final whistle in each of the remaining rounds.
On the same Sunday they watch their team in action at Olympic Village, Northcote fans will be keeping a close eye on the results of Oakleigh Cannons’ home match against Avondale. The Cannons last week pushed reigning champion Bentleigh Greens in an entertaining match in which the lead changed hands twice before the visiting Greens ran out 3-2. On Saturday Bentleigh visits a struggling Melbourne Victory in a match the Greens should win, thereby keeping the pressure on South Melbourne which was scheduled to host an in-form Hume City on Friday.
In NPL 2 E Rd 19 action on Saturday, second-placed Kingston City will be hoping to get back to its winning ways after just a second defeat of the season last week, against Whittlesea Ranges. City hosts Eastern Lions while Brunswick City hosts Springvale White Eagles in a mid-table clash.
Box Hill United hosts a struggling Murray United.
The State Leagues take a break this weekend for a catch-up round. Two catch-up games this weekend include Malvern City travelling to Langwarrin for an SE 1 match on Saturday, while on Sunday South Springvale hosts an in-form FC Clifton Hill at Warner Reserve.