Heidelberg United, under the stewardship of John Anastasiadis, returned to their winning ways with a commanding performance against Altona Magic. The “yellow and blacks” ventured to Altona with one goal in mind: to secure three points and maintain their grip on the top spot in the NPL Victoria ladder. They delivered in style, with the final whistle confirming a 2-0 victory, courtesy of second-half strikes from Asahi Yokokawa and Bul Juach.
The conditions were far from ideal, blustery winds and a poor pitch tested both sides. Yet, nothing could halt the rampant Alexander, who dominated proceedings with flair and precision. Post-match, Anastasiadis was full of praise for his squad’s professionalism.
“We were very good today,” he said. “The conditions were tough, strong winds and a subpar pitch, but the lads showed their class and got us the result we needed after last week’s slip-up. It wasn’t easy, but we got it done.”
Anastasiadis also highlighted the impact of his substitutes. “I’ve said it from day one,this isn’t an eleven-man team; it’s a squad of at least twenty. Everyone must be ready to step up. I’m thrilled with the boys who came off the bench today. With the matches piling up and getting tougher, everyone’s got to give their all.”
Friday night in Dandenong delivered a cracker of a match as Dandenong Thunder hosted reigning champions Oakleigh Cannons. The 3-3 draw had everything but a winner, leaving both sides with a point and the fans buzzing from the spectacle. Thunder stormed to a 3-0 lead inside 25 minutes, with Daniel Clark, Yuto Uchida, and Wade Dekker finding the net. But the Cannons roared back. Adem Duratovic pulled one back in the 32nd minute, followed by Kingsley Sinclair’s strike in the 75th. Skipper Joe Guest sealed the comeback with a coolly taken penalty in the 82nd minute. Despite a late push for the winner, Thunder’s keeper Jamie Young stood tall to deny the Greek Australian side.
Just 24 hours earlier, Dandenong City and South Melbourne played out another 3-3 thriller in the same neighbourhood. Hellas started strongly, racing to a 2-0 lead through goals from Matti Mikkola and Ren Nagamatsu. Dandenong City’s Damian Cuba pulled one back, but Cooper Halfpenny restored the two-goal cushion before the break. Hellas looked set to cruise to victory, but late strikes from Kenny Athiu and Corey Sewell in the 87th and 92nd minutes snatched a dramatic point for the hosts, leaving South Melbourne gutted.
Nea Hellas failed to take anything positive from their away match against Preston Lions. The home team appeared determined from the first minute of the encounter, delivering a high level of performance that ultimately led them to a comfortable 5-0 victory.
The Greek Australian team is now in a highly precarious position in the league standings, facing the real prospect of relegation to VPL1. With an extremely challenging schedule ahead, no one within the Port Melbourne club feels optimistic about the remainder of the season. It will take a miracle for Nea Hellas to remain in the NPL championship next year.
VPL1
Pancyprios remain unstoppable in their quest for NPL promotion. The “greens” secured a hard fought 1-0 win over a stubborn Bulleen Lions, with Cameron Saul’s 37th-minute goal proving decisive. Despite an early spell of dominance from the visitors, Pancyprios took control and held firm to claim three vital points, keeping them atop the VPL1 table.
Brunswick City’s Leonidas couldn’t find their rhythm against North Sunshine Eagles, falling to a 2-1 defeat. The hosts took a 2-0 lead through goals from Michael Sordo and Sam Elibol, with Leonidas’ lone reply coming from Jordan Wong’s fine strike two minutes from time.
Northcote City’s Iraklis suffered a frustrating 2-1 home loss to Caroline Springs George Cross. Despite taking the lead through Zac Harding’s 22nd minute goal, the Greek Australian side were undone by second-half strikes from Petros Petherioti and Ryan Lofts, who stole the three points for the visitors.
Kingston City, languishing near the bottom of the table, produced a stunning 6-1 demolition of Manningham United Blues. The “red and whites” showcased a level of quality rarely seen this season, raising hopes they can build momentum in their fight to avoid relegation.
VPL2
Box Hill United’s Pythagoras climbed to eighth in the standings with a gritty 1-0 away win over Werribee. The Greek Australian outfit are hitting form at just the right time, giving their loyal supporters plenty to cheer about as the season reaches its critical phase.
NPL – Results
Green Gully – Melbourne Victory 4 – 1 (11′ A. Abdallah, 48′ S. Lochhead, 63′ D. Jok, 87′ J. Hope – 25′ P. Wall)
Dandenong City – South Melbourne 3 – 3 (29′ D. Cuba, 87′ K. Athiu, 90+2′ C. Sewell – 15′ M. Mikkola, 27′ N. Ren, 45+2′ C. Halfpenny)
Hume City – Avondale 1 – 2 (38′ M. Tatafu – 20′ A. Ishak, 36′ S. Zinni)
Altona Magic – Heidelberg United 0 – 2 (73′ A. Yokokawa, 81′ B. Juach [P])
Dandenong Thunder – Oakleigh Cannons 3 – 3 (8′ D. Clark, 23′ Y. Uchida, 25′ W. Dekker – 32′ A. Duratovic, 75′ K. Sinclair, 82′ J. Guest [P])
Preston Lions – Port Melbourne Sharks 5 – 0 (4′ G. Albano, 20′ L. Brooks, 68′ J. Markovski, 80′ C. Bell, 89′ M. Schroen)
St Albans Saints – Melbourne Knights 4 – 2 (48′ J. Monek, 62′ L. Byrns, 68′ O. Dragicevic, 87′ S. Ruzvidzo – 35′ G. Arok [OG], 85′ C. Bramwell)
NPL – Standings
Team MP Pts
1. Heidelberg 21 51
2. Avondale 21 48
3. Dandenong Thunder 21 41
4. Oakleigh Cannons 20 38
5. Preston Lions 21 32
6. Hume City 21 31
7. Dandenong City 21 29
8. Green Gully 21 29
9. St Albans Saints 21 23
10. South Melbourne 21 23
11. Altona Magic 21 21
12. Melbourne Victory 21 15
13. Port Melbourne 21 15
14. Melbourne Knights 20 13
VPL1 – Results
Eastern Lions – Melbourne Srbija 0 – 1
Northcote City – Caroline Springs George Cross 1 – 2
Bentleigh Greens – Bulleen Lions 1 – 0
Melbourne City – Western United 2 – 3
North Sunshine Eagles – Brunswick City 2 – 1
Langwarrin – Moreland City 3 – 1
Manningham United Blues – Kingston City 1 – 6
VPL1 – Standings
Team MP Pts
1. Bentleigh 21 45
2. Melbourne City 20 42
3. George Cross 21 42
4. Western United 20 35
5. North Sunshine 21 33
6. Brunswick 21 32
7. Bulleen Lions 20 30
8. Northcote 20 28
9. Melbourne Srbija 21 27
10. Langwarrin 21 26
11. Manningham 21 22
12. Eastern Lions 21 17
13. Kingston City 21 16
14. Moreland City 21 14
