Last weekend’s action saw the race for finals places draw even closer. With four games left to play in the regular season, one point is all that separates four sides jostling for a top six finish. Two sides chasing that four team pack earned valuable points to keep their finals hopes alive, but will need to rely on results to go their way if they are to stand a chance of qualifying.
Elsewhere the league leaders extended their lead at the top, while a welcome point for a side in the bottom two boosted their survival hopes. A host of crucial fixtures are on display this weekend as in a bumper Round 23.
Melbourne Knights picked up their first three points in over a month when they downed Eastern Lions 2-0 on Saturday. The result saw them finally pull away from a group uncomfortably close to the relegation places and kept their slim finals chances alive.
Tonight they welcome Dandenong Thunder to Knights stadium as they look to build some momentum heading into the final stages of the season.
The Thunder let a two goal first half lead slip against the inform Bentleigh Greens last weekend, and with other results going against them, they now find themselves seven points adrift of finals contention. A top six finish is by no means out of the question yet, but they will need teams above them to stumble if they are to gain ground in the coming weeks.
Thunder top scorer Brayden Mann has not featured since he came off the bench in his sides 1-0 away win at Avondale three weeks ago. Dandenong haven’t exactly struggled to find the back of the net in his absence, but if they are to make a finals push, having their main man up top back in the line-up would be a welcome boost. Mann netted the sealer when the Thunder defeated the Knights back in Round 10.
Gian Albano was back was back amongst the goals for the Knights last weekend, after drawing a blank in his previous two outings. The lively winger is now into double figures for the league campaign, and also assisted the Knights second goal later in the contest against the Lions.
The Knights faithful will hope that a strike partnership can develop between Albano and new striker George Ott. Ott teed up Albano for his strike on Saturday and the two could be a lethal pairing if Knights are able to keep them together next year.
Anthony Frangie netted his first for the Thunder against the Greens, and tonight will be his first time back at Knights stadium since leaving north west for the south east a month ago.
In a top of the table clash last Saturday, South Melbourne came away with a 1-0 victory over the Oakleigh Cannons. Marcus Schroen’s second half effort from close range was all that could split the top two sides in what was a cagey affair at Lakeside.
This Saturday it’s the Altona Magic’s turn to take a trip to Albert Park as South play host for the third week in a row.
It’s now five losses in succession for the Magic after a second minute strike from Joey Katabian was all Avondale needed to take three points from Paisley Park last Saturday. They now find themselves just six points ahead of the relegation places after Dandenong City’s point away at Port Melbourne.
Altona has shown some defensive frailties of late and if Avondale showed more cutting edge in the final third could have considerably extended the scoreline. Magic's defence will again face a stern test this weekend as they travel to the home of the league's highest scorers.
Lars Anton Kanninder teed up Jamal Ali for the Magic’s best chance on Saturday and the big Swede has posed the most threat since signing from State League outfit Banyule City a month ago.
As for South, life is good at the top. After weathering a strong first half showing from the Cannons, they came out a much better side in the second to send their fans home in full voice.
Max Mikkola was excellent again on and has been a problem for opposition defences all season. Another string to his bow is his huge long throws, which have caused chaos in every penalty box South have attacked this year.
Last weekend against the Cannons was no different as Oakleigh keeper Nick Feely fumbled a deep heave into the box, resulting in Marcus Schroen bundling home from a yard out.
Mikkola and NPL Men's top scorer Harrison Sawyer have proved difficult to stop this season and South will hope for more of the same come Saturday night.
Green Gully scored their first league goals since Round 18 when they downed St Albans 2-0 last Friday. The win sees them sitting equal on points with both Bentleigh and Heidelberg; sitting behind the Greens and ahead of the Bergers on goal difference.
With finals football hanging in the balance they travel to Valley Park on Saturday night to take on Hume City in a must win clash for both sides.
Hume lost a thriller against the Bergers on Sunday, with four goals scored in the last 15 minutes at Olympic Village resulting in City falling short 3-2. With Dandenong City’s point against the Sharks, Hume are now just two points ahead in the race to avoid the drop.
Despite the loss, Hume have been playing well of late, averaging two goals a game over their last three. Against a Gully side that have been inconsistent to say the least in recent weeks.
Gully striker Alex Salmon found the back of the net for the first time since netting twice against Dandy City back in Round 17. Struggling with injury this season, the Englishman hasn’t been able to replicate the prolific form he showed in the last full NPL Victoria season in 2019, with five to his name this campaign.
If the 28 year old can find some form down the stretch it would be a massive boost for the Cavaliers finals aspirations. Gully haven’t managed to sew two wins together since rounds 12 and 13, but they can ill afford to drop points in the remaining four fixtures of the regular season.
Some would say it has been coming for a while now, but Eastern Lions are finally on the brink of relegation. After their loss against Melbourne Knights last Saturday, if they fail to secure three points this weekend their time in the top flight will come to an end.
The Lions take a trip across town to face St Albans on Sunday in an attempt to cling on to top flight football for another week.
The 2-0 defeat at the hands of Green Gully means the Saints have now scored just once since there defeat of Dandenong City back in Round 15. St Albans may have picked up three points from three draws in that span, but the lean run has eliminated them from finals contention ,whilst teams in the relegation scrap have also closed the gap.
Eastern Lions haven’t fared any better in that regard, scoring one more goal than the Saints but not picking up any points in the same seven game span.
In the recent transfer window the Lions lost a number of regular starters to other NPL Victoria sides, but also brought in some younger talent as they look to freshen up a squad that has had it tough this year.
One of those signings was centre back Darby Dexter from NPL2 side Brunswick City. The 25 year old has found his feet quickly and says that despite the Lions situation for the remainder of the season, the mood around the dressing room is upbeat.
“We’ve got nothing to lose, and with a relatively new squad we just want to play the best football we can and give it a crack,” he said.
As for St Albans, with finals football officially out of the picture, the focus unfortunately now shifts to stopping the slide down the table. Currently six points clear of the drop, one more win would almost be good enough for Kruni Razov’s side to secure safety.
Heidelberg’s thrilling victory over Hume, put them level on points with Green Gully and Bentleigh, but goal difference sees them still sitting just outside the finals places.
Points are at a premium for sides striving to make the cut, so as they look to climb back into the top six, the Bergers they welcome Dandenong City to Olympic Village this Sunday.
Dandy City are also desperate for points at the moment, as they are still sitting second last on the table and facing relegation. Their form has been improving in recent weeks, however, with victory over Altona two weeks ago before coming from behind to earn a point against third placed Port Melbourne last Saturday.
The results now have them within two points of Hume who sit safely in 12th, with the chance to step out of the relegation zone should they pick up three points and Hume fall to Green Gully on Saturday.
One of the catalysts for Dandy City’s resurgence in the last fortnight has been the signing of Tommy Semmy from Altona Magic. Semmy has impressed driving down either wing over the last two matches and played an influential role in his side’s equaliser against the Sharks on Saturday night.
For Heidelberg, Sean Ellis curled a brilliant effort from distance into the top corner against Hume. After a quiet first half of the season Ellis now has three in his last six in the league, and his been an integral part of the his side’s resurgence.
Kane Sheppard netted twice on the weekend, although only one of them was in the Hume net. The striker cancelling out his own goal eight minutes later with a strike that sealed the win for the Bergers. Not counting the goal in his net, Sheppard is now up to 20 for the season in all competitions.
While 19 points separates these two sides, at this point of the season nothing is for certain. Two weeks ago Heidelberg had four put past them by Port Melbourne, but last week Dandy City held the Sharks to a single goal while nabbing a point.
In a must win game for both sides, it promises to be an exciting Sunday afternoon at Olympic Village.
The first of two games pushed back due to teams Australia Cup fixtures sees Kingston Heath set the scene under the Monday night lights as Bentleigh Greens welcome south eastern rivals the Oakleigh Cannons to town.
The Greens managed to salvage a point from a 2-0 half time deficit against Dandenong Thunder last Saturday night. Ajak Riak’s brace in the last 10 minutes kept the Greens inside the top six after Gully and Heidelberg also picked up wins.
Sitting level on points with the Cavaliers and the Bergers, Bentleigh can’t afford to drop anymore points down the stretch, but that task only gets tougher on Monday. The Greens will be riding on a high though defeating NSW's Broadmeadow Magic in an extra time thriller on Thursday night, giving the squad a huge boost in confidence and a ticket into the final 16 of the competition.
The Cannons failed to take the opportunity to go top of table last Saturday when they fell 1-0 to South Melbourne. After having the better of the first half and also the final stages of the second, Oakleigh will feel as if it’s one that got away.
The Cannons were without Joe Knowles against South and missed the cutting edge in the final third that the striker provides. He will be a welcome return to the line-up if he is available after his trial with Brisbane Roar.
Despite the loss, Oakleigh have quickly returned to winning ways, dominating Bonnyrigg White Eagles 5-0 in a successful away trip in the Australia Cup on Thursday night.
For the Greens, Riak’s double were his third and fourth goals in his last three games as the tall forward seems to be hitting some form at the business end of the season.
Bentleigh have the advantage of playing both this clash and their Australia Cup fixture against Broadmeadow Magic at home, while Oakleigh will be returning from a trip to Sydney after playing Bonnyrigg White Eagles.
While top of the table is still possible for the Cannons, Chris Taylor’s focus may shift towards Oakleigh’s cup competitions over the next few weeks.
Due to Avondale flying back from their Australia Cup fixture in Darwin, Avondale’s clash against Port Melbourne will now be playing on Tuesday night at the neutral Venue of Valley Park.
Avondale returned to winning ways last weekend when a second minute strike from Joey Katabian proved enough to ease past Altona. The three points are welcome but Avondale coach Zoran Markovski may think it could and should have been more than just 1-0. Some wasteful finishing kept the Altona in the contest till the final whistle when it could have been put to bed much earlier.
Port Melbourne let three points slip last Saturday night after a spirited fight back from Dandenong City salvaged a point at JL Murphy Reserve.
After scoring four times in each of their past two games before last weekend the Dandy City result was no doubt a frustrating one for the Sharks. Despite this, Port are still sitting comfortably in third six points clear of the Avengers in fourth.
After a purple patch in the middle of the season which saw Jackson Courtney-Perkins hit seven in seven games, the young winger has now gone scoreless in his last four. Courtney-Perkins is by no means out of form, still having a healthy contribution to the Port Melbourne offense. However, he will look to re find his goal scoring form soon with finals football fast approaching.
For Avondale, with three teams a point behind them in the NPL Victoria table, they are well and truly in the battle for top six. With their long trip back from their cup fixture in the Northern Territory, there could potentially be tired legs on Tuesday night. However they may take confidence from the reverse fixture against Port, where they ran out 2-0 winners.
Top Scorer Liam Boland returned to the side with a bang in the Australia Cup, netting a hattrick in the side's 6-0 thumping of Northern Territory's Mindil Aces. The powerful striker scored last time the teams played and his presence back in the Avengers side could be a deciding factor in the their finals push.