Heidelberg United, the mighty Alexander, continue to lead the NPL Victoria charge. The yellow-and-blacks show no signs of easing up, breezing through another tough away fixture to cement their status as red hot favourites for the regular season crown.
Hume City were ready to throw everything at Heidelberg on Friday night. The Turkish Australian outfit were desperate for the three points to keep their top six hopes alive and stay clear of the chasing pack.
But they hadn’t reckoned with the league’s standout performer and joint top scorer (tied with Avondale’s Manyluak Aguek), the electrifying Bul Juach.
Heidelberg’s talisman needed less than a minute to show why he’s the man of the moment. He struck in the opening seconds, giving United a lead that would prove decisive. With the 1-0 in their pocket, John Anastasiadis’ men delivered a masterclass in game management, forcing Hume into a frustrating 90 minutes of toothless attacks.
Despite the early goal, the yellow-and-blacks created the better chances, firing five shots on target to Hume’s none and never looking like losing control. It was another massive win for Alexander, who seem primed to claim the NPL summit. The confidence, swagger, and clinical edge of Anastasiadis’ side are the hallmarks of a championship winning team. The question now is whether they can go all the way.
Oakleigh Cannons, the reigning champs, slumped to a second straight defeat, this time falling 3-2 away at St Albans Saints. The first half was a snooze fest—45 minutes of aimless possession, zero clear cut chances, and action confined to midfield scraps.
The second half, though, was a different story.
The Cannons came out firing, with Adem Duratovic breaking the deadlock in the 52nd minute. But the Saints hit back quick, levelling through Jarome in the 55th and taking the lead via Joseph Monek in the 64th. Oakleigh fought back, with the brilliant Kingsley Sinclair making it 2-2 in the 75th minute.
The final stages turned into a proper ding dong battle. Both sides threw caution to the wind, opening up and chasing the winner in chaotic fashion. In the end, it was St Albans who landed the killer blow. Two minutes from time, Mickel Plat found himself unmarked in the box and slotted home from close range to seal a 3-2 upset, leaving the Cannons stunned.
It’s a bitter pill for the champions, who need to rediscover their spark sharpish if they’re to defend their title.
South Melbourne’s Hellas side failed to extend their recent positive run in the NPL. Hosting Dandenong Thunder, the match was decided by a solitary goal from Mersim Memeti in the 86th minute, handing the visitors the three points.
The Greek Australian outfit dominated much of the ninety minutes but lacked composure and clinical finishing in front of the opposition’s goal. This result leaves South Melbourne languishing in 9th place on the ladder, just four points clear of the relegation danger zone.
VPL1
Pancyprios crashed from the top of the VPL1 table after a 1-1 draw away at Langwarrin. The result saw the greens slip to third, behind Melbourne City and George Cross. George Katsakis’ side are at a critical juncture. They need to lift their game and string together wins to keep their NPL promotion hopes alive, with a run of tough fixtures looming that will make or break their season.
Leonidas put on a cracking show on Friday night, dishing out a 3-0 thrashing to Bulleen Lions in Brunswick. The match was a belter, packed with quality moments and fierce duels across the pitch. The win hoisted Brunswick City to fifth in the standings, giving them some breathing room from seventh placed North Sunshine Eagles.
Northcote City’s Iraklis stumbled, falling 2-1 at home to Western United. Despite taking the lead in the 48th minute, the Greek Australian side let it slip, conceding twice in the 84th and 95th minutes.
Kingston City’s slide towards the VPL2 abyss continued with a 5-0 hammering at the hands of North Sunshine Eagles. The red and whites were torn apart by a rampant Eagles side, who exposed every weakness in Kostas Tagkalakis’ struggling outfit. Clarinda are staring down the barrel of relegation—only a miracle can save their season now.
VPL2
Box Hill United’s woes deepened with a 3-1 home defeat to Brunswick Juventus on Friday night. The Greek Australian side looked flat, unable to match their opponents’ intensity across the 90 minutes. Pythagoras’ men need to find their fire and fight harder in their remaining games to avoid being dragged into the relegation scrap.
NPL – Results
Dandenong City – Altona Magic (9′, 34′ T. Atherinos – 45′ S. Moukachar, 48′ B. Habib [pen]) 2 – 1
Melbourne Knights – Green Gully (82′ C. Bramwell – 24′ J. Ragague, 45+1′, 71′ J. Hope, 59′ G. Iannucci) 1 – 4
St Albans Saints – Oakleigh Cannons (55′ C. Jarome, 64′ J. Monek, 93′ M. Platt – 52′ A. Duratovic, 75′ K. Sinclair) 3 – 2
Hume City – Heidelberg United (1′ B. Juach) 0 – 1
Preston Lions – Avondale 1 – 1 (17′ D. Folino – 90+2′ K. Kamara)
South Melbourne – Dandenong Thunder 0 – 1 (86′ M. Memeti)
Melbourne Victory – Port Melbourne Sharks (To be played Monday evening, 23.6)
NPL – Standings
Team MP Pts
1. Heidelberg 19 47
2. Avondale 19 44
3. Dandenong Thunder 19 39
4. Oakleigh Cannons 18 34
5. Hume City 19 31
6. Preston Lions 19 29
7. Dandenong City 19 27
8. Green Gully 19 26
9. South Melbourne 18 19
10. Altona Magic 19 18
11. St Albans Saints 19 17
12. Melbourne Victory 18 15
13. Port Melbourne 18 12
14. Melbourne Knights 18 10
VPL1 – Results
Brunswick City – Bulleen Lions 3 – 0
Northcote City – Western United 1 – 2
Moreland City – Melbourne Srbija 0 – 3
Eastern Lions – Melbourne City 2 – 3
North Sunshine Eagles – Kingston City 5 – 0
Langwarrin – Bentleigh Greens 1 – 1
Caroline Springs George Cross – Manningham United Blues 6 – 1
VPL1 – Standings
Team MP Pts
1. Melbourne City 18 41
2. George Cross 19 39
3. Bentleigh 19 39
4. Western United 18 32
5. Brunswick 19 31
6. Northcote 18 28
7. North Sunshine 19 27
8. Bulleen Lions 18 27
9. Melbourne Srbija 19 23
10. Manningham 19 22
11. Langwarrin 19 20
12. Eastern Lions 19 17
13. Kingston City 19 12
14. Moreland City 19 11
