NPL Victoria Men’s: What Olympics?
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
South Melbourne – Port Melbourne
Esteban Quintas and his football players threw a bash at Lakeside Stadium on Friday to celebrate their reign as standings rulers.
The hosts welcomed their Port Melbourne neighbours for a game infused with Greek spice. With their game faces on, they scored the first goal in just the 6th minute, courtesy of the league’s top scorer Harrison Sawyer, with 16 goals to his name.
The opposing team tried to make a comeback, but keeping up with the South Melbourne Hellas players was like trying to chase a bullet train on foot.
The home team sealed the deal with another goal in the 51st minute – a direct corner kick by Andy Brennan.
But the real showstopper was when rookie Jack Pope, who hopped on board from Eastern Lion, scored a jaw-dropping curler that gracefully kissed the back of the Sharks’ net.
His debut dazzled Robert Harding, who also joined the team in the latest transfer window.
In the 87th minute, Harding swooped in for a goal off Sawyer’s ricochet, sealing the final score at 4-0, and sending their South Melbourne Hellas squadmates home grinning from ear to ear.
With their spot at the top secure, the historic South Melbourne Hellas can now put all their energy into prepping for the Dockerty Cup (3/8) final against the Cannons, as well as the league playoffs.
Oakleigh Cannons – Melbourne Knights
Despite the downpour and intense competition, the Cannons triumphed over the Melbourne Knights in a goal-filled showdown. And while the turnout of fans may have been larger than expected, they were all clearly making the right choice by choosing to witness this epic NPL derby.
The home team wasted no time in flexing their determination, setting up a strong foundation for their impending triumph.
Valentini couldn’t quite cut it, so Kasumovic stepped up and dazzled us with his skills from the right side. Unfortunately, his teammates didn’t get the memo and failed to capitalize on his crosses, leaving us with 30 minutes of a scoreless match.
However, in the 34th minute, the gods of football smiled upon the Oakleigh team.
Alex Salmon channeled his inner magician as he pulled off a free kick just outside the box. His ball defied physics, bouncing off the wall and sneaking into the net.
The second half started off in predictable fashion – with the home team ruling the field but struggling to make their advantage count.
Like a bad Tinder date, it wasn’t until the 69th minute when a Knights attack caught them off guard and they ended up scoring on themselves.
Luckily, the Cannons weren’t going to let one own goal bring them down and with the help of Oliver Kubilay’s star performance, they reclaimed the lead in the 82nd minute. By the 89th minute, Alex Salmon’s second goal of the game secured their victory and his title as the clubs top scorer with 12 league goals.
It was a thrilling display of history and rivalry between the clubs, but now Oakleigh must shift their focus to future matches.
First up, they’ll take on Sydney FC in Bundoora for the Australian Cup round of 32 on Tuesday (30/7) and then face off against South Melbourne Hellas at the same stadium for the Dockerty Cup 2024 on Saturday.
Looks like Oakleigh’s schedule is busier than M1 at rush hour!
Heidelberg United – Hume City
The “yellow and black” team of Heidelberg United Alexandros were left feeling blue as they failed to secure a win against Hume City at home.
While they desperately wanted to inch closer to second place in the standings, the visitors refused to give up the three points.
Coach Anastasiadis’ squad started strong, but their early goal by the dazzling midfielder Sabit James Ngor was not enough to seal the deal.
Despite United’s continuous display of beautiful play, they just couldn’t convert their chances into a win.
Hume City, on the other foot, managed to equalize in the 55th minute with a brilliant free kick from their star player Aamir Abdallah.
The left-footed wonder worked his magic and left the home team scrambling for the win.
As the guests settled for a draw, it became clear that Heidelberg United’s elusive footwork was the real winner of the game.
Despite their best efforts, Hume City’s defense stood strong, forcing both teams to leave the field with only one measly point in their pockets.
Now Alexandros is all in for that epic Aussie Cup showdown against the Central Coast Mariners this Wednesday (31/7). Let the battle begin !
VPL1
Brunswick City crushed Northcote City in the “Greek” derby, serving up a scrumptious feast of eight goals, heated showdowns, and breathtaking displays of the beautiful game. With their sharp skills in the last third of the pitch, the winning team swept up a 5-3 victory.
The mighty Kingston City has conquered the North Geelong Warriorns in a thrilling game. The Greek Australian team displayed their prowess on the field, claiming a well-deserved victory with a score of 5-3. The ecstatic home crowd left with beaming grins plastered on their faces.
Looks like Bentleigh Greens didn’t exactly shine in their recent game against Melbourne City. The City’s youngsters were on fire and gave them a 2-0 lead, leaving George Katsakis’ squad struggling to keep up. In the end, all they could muster was one measly goal, leaving the final score at a not-so-impressive 2-1.
VPL2
Box Hill United and Doveton shared a yawn-worthy draw after their game was rained out. With the weather playing MVP, both teams were unable to score, leaving the scoreboard snoozing at 0-0 for ninety-five minutes.
NPL – RESULTS
South Melbourne – Port Melbourne 4 – 0 (6′ H. Sawyer, 51′ M. Jankovic, 68′ J. Pope, 87′ R. Harding)
Dandenong City – Manningham United 2 – 4 (24′ D. Iaconis, 59′ D. Iaconis – 5′ J. Tountas, 16′ A. Castiello, 86′ B. Everson [P], 90+4′ B. Everson)
Heidelberg United – Hume City 1 – 1 (10′ J. Ngor Sabit – 56′ A. Abdallah)
Green Gully – Avondale 1 – 6 (62′ G. Iannucci – 2′ K. Trajeski, 45+3′ K. Trajeski, 65′ G. Ott, 66′ S. Zinni, 75′ K. Kur, 90+3′ L. Diaz)
Oakleigh Cannons – Melbourne Knights 3 – 1 (37′ A. Salmon, 84′ O. Kubilay, 89′ A. Salmon – 69′ J. Hall [A])
Altona Magic – Moreland City 6 – 3 (25′ D. Fabrizio, 47′ B. Juach, 57′ D. Duzel, 73′ S. Lawless, 81′ B. Juach, 83′ B. Juach – 20′ R. Suresh , 65′ A. Ukuno, 90+1′ J. Sanz)
St Albans Saints – Dandenong Thunder 1 – 0 (74’ L. Byrns)
NPL – TABLE
1. South Melbourne 24 56
2. Avondale 24 50
3. Oakleigh Cannons 24 47
4. Hume City 24 47
5. Heidelberg Utd 24 45
6. Dand City 24 34
7. Port Melb Sharks 24 33
8. Melb Knights 24 32
9. Altona Magic 24 30
10. Dand Thunder 24 28
11. Green Gully 24 24
12. St. Albans 24 19
13. Manningham 24 18
14. Moreland 24 11
VPL1 – RESULTS
Werribee City – Preston Lions 2 – 3
Brunswick City – Northcote City 5 – 3
Melbourne City – Bentleigh Greens 2 – 1
Langwarrin – Western United 1 – 2
Caroline Springs – Eastern Lions 2 – 0
Kingston City – North Geelong Warriors 3 – 2
Bulleen Lions – Melbourne Victory*
* This match took place on Monday afternoon (29/7).
VPL1 – TABLE
1. Melb Victory 23 48
2. Preston Lions 23 44
3. Western Utd 24 43
4. Northcote 24 42
5. Bulleen Lions 23 35
6. Melb City 23 34
7. Langwarrin 24 34
8. Carol Springs 24 32
9. Bentl Greens 24 31
10. Brunswick City 24 29
11. Kingston 24 28
12. Eastern Lions 24 27
13. Werribee City 24 17
14. North Geelong 24 14
VPL2 – RESULTS
Brunswick Juventus – Nunawading City 0 – 1
Doveton – Box Hill United 0 – 0
Boroondara Carey Eagles – North Sunshine Eagles 3 – 4
Goulburn Valley Suns – Beaumaris 4 – 1
Altona City – Essendon Royals 0 – 4
Melbourne Srbija – Pascoe Vale Postponed
VPL2 – TABLE
1. FC Melb. Serbia 1942
2. Nth Sunsh. Eagles 20 42
3. Altona City 20 34
4. Brun Juventus 20 31
5. Essendon Royals 20 32
6. Pascoe Vale 18 28
7. Boroondara Eagles 20 28
8. Nunawading City 20 24
9. Box Hill 20 21
10. Goulburn Valley 20 19
11. Doveton 19 17
12. Beaumaris 20 9
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
