NPL Victoria: Record crowd but humbling defeat for South Melbourne
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
It was a tough weekend for South Melbourne and Heidelberg United, with both historic Greek Australian clubs suffering painful away defeats that kept them further from their desired positions on the league table.
In the match of the round, played in front of a record-breaking crowd of 9,500 spectators, Preston Lions overpowered South Melbourne, plunging them into a cycle of frustration and negativity.
The home team, energised by their passionate supporters, took control of the game early, demonstrating their determination to secure the victory.
Preston Lions’ fans created an electric atmosphere, chanting relentlessly throughout the match, including the controversial slogan “Macedonia – Macedonia.”
Despite missing key players, South Melbourne managed to hold their ground in the first half, going into the break with the score level at 0-0.
The turning point came in the 54th minute when young goalkeeper Pithoulas conceded a penalty and received a red card.
Albano converted from the spot, giving the Lions a crucial lead.
Down to ten men and struggling to regain composure, South Melbourne fought hard to find a breakthrough, but an 81st-minute goal from Brooks sealed their fate. The 2-0 defeat left the Greek Australian club in turmoil, with fans taking to social media to demand immediate improvements.
Alexandros stuns in Dandenong
Heidelberg United also endured a frustrating evening against Dandenong Thunder. In a match defined by caution and limited attacking action, the visitors struck first in the 39th minute through the talented Max Bisetto, carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime.
Thunder equalised in the 55th minute with a Sulemani penalty. Despite Heidelberg regaining the lead in the 63rd minute through a stunning counter-attack initiated by goalkeeper Sozer and finished by Fulton, their advantage was short-lived. Another penalty decision, again converted by Sulemani, leveled the score at 2-2.
The home side completed their comeback with a fortunate goal from Jalloh in the 80th minute.
In the dying moments, Heidelberg had a strong penalty appeal denied, prompting an angry reaction from coach John Anastasiadis, who was shown a red card and forced to watch the final minutes from the tunnel. The loss marked Heidelberg’s second defeat of the season, highlighting squad depth concerns and increasing pressure on Anastasiadis to turn things around.
VPL1: Oakleigh Cannons in command
Oakleigh Cannons, under coach George Katsakis, continued their dominant run, claiming another victory to climb to the top of the table. The Greens comfortably defeated Western United 2-0, securing three vital points in their pursuit of promotion back to the NPL.
Meanwhile, disappointment loomed over Bentleigh Greens as they suffered a 1-3 home defeat against George Cross. Northcote City fought hard but had to settle for a draw in their match against Melbourne Srbija.
VPL2: Nightmare for Pythagoras
Pythagoras endured a humiliating home loss against newly promoted White Eagles on Friday night. The visitors dictated the game, scoring three impressive goals and leaving Box Hill with a dominant victory.
NPL Results:
Green Gully – Dandenong City 0-5 (6′ W. Bower, 23′, 80′ K. Athiu, 43′, 90′ J. Latham)
Preston Lions – South Melbourne 2-0 (57′ G. Albano [pen], 81′ M. Brooks)
Dandenong Thunder – Heidelberg United 3-2 (55′ [pen] & 75′ S. Sulemani, 80′ A. Jalloh – 39′ M. Bisetto, 63′ T. Fulton)
Oakleigh Cannons – Western United 2-0
Bentleigh Greens – George Cross 1-3
Northcote City – Melbourne Srbija 1-1
Pythagoras – White Eagles 0-3
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
