The VPL regular season climaxed last weekend with plenty of interest for our clubs.
With leaders Hume on a poor run, second place Oakleigh were in prime position to challenge for top spot. Should Oakleigh fail, Heidelberg and South Melbourne were still mathematical possibilities for the minor premiership, although Northcote would be doing their best to stop South and claim the last finals place for themselves.
The first piece of the puzzle was for Hume to complete their end of season flop, and they did it in style – losing their fourth game in a row (4-2 at the Melbourne Knights).
Over at Jack Edwards Reserve, Oakleigh were looking to take 3 points off Dandenong to put maximum pressure on top spot.
In an entertaining game, both teams made plenty of chances, but it took until the last quarter of the game for the ball to hit the net. Cannons forward Ricky Diaco slotting home in the 67th minute after some neat build up play. Having waited so long for the first goal, the crowd didn’t have long to wait for the second – Dandenong’s Luke Sherbon blasting his side level within 3 minutes.
Oakleigh thought they were back in the lead within minutes when James Robinson broke through to score, but an offside flag ultimately robbed them of top spot.
Heidelberg came into their final game against relegated Springvale on the back of 11 goals and 2 wins in a week and when they took the lead after 15 minutes (Osagie Ederaro pouncing after Springvale keeper Vujic’s week punch) they may have considered themselves to be a chance for the minor premiership. But it wasn’t to be. Springvale grabbed an equaliser within 5 minutes, then through a combination of strong defending and fast counter attacking contrived to score twice more in the second half whilst blocking out the second highest scorers in the league.
Heidelberg will be left hoping that this was simply a bad day at the office as they look forward to finals football.
The match-of-the-round from a Greek point of view, was the derby between South Melbourne and Northcote. The clubs have shared Northcote’s John Cain Memorial Ground all season, but for this fixture South switched to the SS Anderson Reserve in Port Melbourne to deny Northcote any kind of ‘home field’ benefit.
It was a sudden death fixture with both clubs knowing that a win would guarantee finals football, whilst defeat would be the end of the road for another year. South had the benefit of knowing a draw would be enough for them.
Later comers to the ground would have missed a spectacular start – with South drawing first blood in the 3rd minute through Jesse Krncevic, only to see Northcote level within a minute through James Kalifatidis after a great run from Dean Piermonte.
The game settled into a nervous pattern, with neither team daring to over-commit to attack. The nerves ultimately contributed to Northcote’s second goal – with defensive hesitation allowing Jonathan Voulgaris a free run on goal, and the normally solid Zaim Zanelli being beaten at his near post when he appeared to have Voulgaris’s shot covered.
It looked like game-over for South when Trent Rixon added a third in the 33rd minute. The big striker bringing down a high through-ball and smashing his shot home in one movement.
Amazingly, South were level before half-time, with two spectacular strikes of their own. First, Jesse Krncevic chasing onto a through-ball and lobbing the rushing keeper from an acute angle, then – just 2 minutes later – Steven Weir blasting a free kick over the wall and into the bottom corner of the net from 30 meters.
South looked more effective as a defensive unit in the second half, and whilst Northcote continued to search for a winner it was South who came closest – Jesse Krncevic missing out on his hattrick, heading wide of a gaping goal after great work from Yannis Galanos on the wing.
So, with Oakleigh, Hume, Heidelberg and South Melbourne all failing to take maximum points it was left to Green Gully to complete a remarkable turnaround. After 9 rounds they had just 7 points, but 11 wins from their final 15 points saw them streak through to the top of the table. Heading the list for the first time on the last day of season courtesy of a 5-0 romp at Kingston Heath against Bentleigh Greens.