The weekend’s blockbuster clash between ladder-leaders Avondale and Heidelberg United delivered a proper spectacle, but it was marred by contentious refereeing that left a bitter taste for the Greek Australian side. The two standout sides of this season’s NPL served up a footy feast with everything—passion, flair, and, unfortunately, some glaring officiating blunders.
Heidelberg, donning their iconic yellow-and-black, started like a house on fire. They bossed possession, carved out attacks with ease, and suffocated Avondale’s routes to their defensive third. Their dominance paid dividends in the 34th minute when a cracking counter-attack was finished with aplomb by the league’s top scorer, the electric Bul Juach. His strike sent the visitors into the sheds at half-time with a deserved 1-0 lead.
The second half saw a different story. Avondale upped the ante, wrestled back control of the ball, and piled on the pressure with wave after wave of attacks, particularly down the flanks. The equaliser eluded them until the 81st minute when Heidelberg’s Collins was pinged for a handball on the line. The ref pointed to the spot and promptly showed Collins a straight red, leaving the visitors a man down. George Ott stepped up, coolly slotting the penalty past Heidelberg’s keeper to make it 1-1 with ten minutes to play.
The real drama, however, unfolded as the clock ticked into stoppage time. The fourth official raised the board for a staggering ten minutes of added time—a call that had Heidelberg’s gaffer, John Anastasiadis, absolutely fuming. That decision proved pivotal. In the 11th minute of stoppage time, after the ref waved away a clear foul on Heidelberg, former Oakleigh Cannons star Stefan Valentini found himself unmarked in front of goal. His clinical finish sealed a dramatic 2-1 win for Avondale, sparking wild celebrations among the home faithful. The result sees Avondale leapfrog Heidelberg to reclaim top spot on goal difference, leaving the yellow-and-black to lick their wounds and refocus for the final two rounds before the finals.
South Melbourne were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Green Gully. The home side started strongly, moving the ball around nicely and showing from the get-go they were deadset on grabbing the win to stay within striking distance of the top six on the ladder.
The positive play from the Greek Australian outfit turned into a goal in the 26th minute after a cracking penalty from Ren Nagamatsu. From there, though, Hellas’ game plan shifted. They dropped their lines, gave the opposition some space, and looked to protect their lead. But coach Cohadzic’s tactics didn’t quite come off, as the visitors not only levelled the score in the 42nd minute through Kifle but nearly pinched all three points with a much-improved showing, especially in the second half.
The final 1-1 scoreline leaves Hellas mathematically out of the top six, with just two rounds left in the regular season.
Elsewhere, Oakleigh Cannons bounced back to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Altona Magic on Friday night. The Greek Australian side came out with purpose, hell-bent on cementing their fourth-placed standing. It took until the stroke of half-time for Brodie Boyce to break the deadlock with a bullet header. The second half saw the Cannons tighten up, drop the tempo, and focus on protecting their lead. Altona struggled to create clear-cut chances, allowing Oakleigh to cruise to a comfortable three points.
Port Melbourne Sharks’ relegation battle took another grim turn as they scrapped to a 1-1 draw against Dandenong City. The Greek Australian outfit flew out of the blocks, with William Gillingham firing them ahead in the sixth minute. But Dandenong hit back through Gaku Inaba on the half-hour mark, sapping the Sharks’ early momentum. The second half descended into a scrappy affair—more like ice hockey than footy—with endless physical duels and precious few chances. The draw leaves Port Melbourne teetering on the brink of relegation to VPL1. They’ll need wins against Altona Magic and Heidelberg, plus a favour from Melbourne Knights against Magic in the final round, to pull off a miracle and avoid the drop. It’s a tall order, but hope dies last.
VPL1
Pancyprios continue their relentless march towards NPL promotion, with no side looking capable of derailing them. The Greek Australian outfit, led by George Katsakis, dispatched Manningham United with ease at Pettys Reserve. Two clinical strikes in the 71st and 76th minutes sealed a 2-0 win, sending the green-and-white faithful back to Cheltenham with grins from ear to ear. Promotion to the NPL is now tantalisingly close.
The Greek Australian derby between Northcote City’s Iraklis and Brunswick City’s Leonidas ended without a winner. Both sides threw everything into the contest, battling tooth and nail for the three points, but neither could find the net. They settled for a point apiece in a match that had everything but goals.
VPL2
Friday night’s clash between Box Hill United’s Pythagoras and Whittlesea United was an absolute belter. Five cracking goals, relentless physical battles, and a spectacle only the beautiful game can deliver. Pythagoras fought valiantly but fell to a 3-2 defeat, keeping them eighth in the standings, just four points shy of the top six.
NPL – Results
Melbourne Knights – Hume City 1–1 (83′ A. Inia – 80′ L. Isgrove)
Port Melbourne – Dandenong City 1–1 (6′ W. Gillingham – 30′ G. Inaba)
Oakleigh Cannons – Altona Magic 1–0 (45′ B. Boyce)
Avondale – Heidelberg United 2–1 (81′ G. Ott [pen], 90+13′ S. Valentini – 34′ B. Juach)
Dandenong Thunder – Melbourne Victory 4–1 (13′ Y. Uchida, 60′ H. Jalloh, 78′ W. Dekker [pen], 81′ K. Taylor – 83′ J. Kellis)
St Albans Saints – Preston Lions 0 – 3 (12′ L. Francis, 43′ L. Brooks, 71′ J. Markovski)
South Melbourne – Green Gully 1 – 1 (26′ N. Ren – 42′ E. Kifle)
NPL – Standings
Team Matches Points
1. Avondale 24 55
2. Heidelberg 24 55
3. Dandenong Thunder 24 50
4. Oakleigh Cannons 24 45
5. Preston Lions 24 41
6. Hume City 24 35
7. Dandenong City 24 34
8. Green Gully 24 31
9. South Melbourne 24 28
10. St Albans Saints 24 27
11. Altona Magic 24 21
12. Port Melbourne 24 16
13. Melbourne Victory 24 15
14. Melbourne Knights 24 15
VPL1 – Results
Brunswick City – Northcote City 0–0
Langwarrin – Melbourne Srbija 1–3
Manningham United Blues – Bentleigh Greens 0–2
Caroline Springs George Cross – Eastern Lions 4–1
Western United – North Sunshine 2 – 0
Kingston City vs Moreland City (Scheduled for Monday evening, 4/8)
Bulleen Lions vs Melbourne City (Scheduled for Monday evening, 4/8)
VPL1 – Standings
Team Matches Points
1. Bentleigh 24 52
2. George Cross 24 51
3. Melbourne City 23 48
4. Western United 24 43
5. North Sunshine 24 36
6. Brunswick 24 36
7. Melbourne Srbija 24 34
8. Bulleen Lions 23 33
9. Northcote 24 32
10. Langwarrin 24 29
11. Manningham 24 22
12. Eastern Lions 24 18
13. Kingston City 23 17
14. Moreland City 23 17
