There have been plenty of NPLW Victoria teams in action across multiple competitions recently, as Round 9 was swiftly followed by the remaining three Nike F.C. Cup Quarter Finals mid-week. Both sets of fixtures were treated to a feast of attacking football as 46 goals were scored across the seven matches. Heading into Round 10 tired legs are sure to play a factor with all but two sides playing their third game in a week.
Calder United will benefit from playing their quarter final tie last Thursday, as they will have had the extra rest to prepare for this weekend’s clash. Arguably the most inform team in the competition right now, United welcome the Bulleen Lions to Keilor Park, who need a win if they are to stay in touch with the top two.
Despite being the only other side to have lost just once so far this season, alongside Calder, the Lions have drawn their last two games to have them now sitting four points behind the league leaders in third.
On Tuesday, they fought through 120 minutes to get past Alamein to book a place in the Nike F.C. Cup semi-finals and come Saturday afternoon, they will be need to be at their best to stop a rampaging Calder side.
United breezed past their VPL opposition Boroondara Eagles 5-0 in the cup, and then kept their foot on the gas as they dispatched five more past FV Emerging in the league on the weekend.
Boasting the best goal difference in NPLW Victoria, Calder typically share the goals around, but their three ones to watch are Alana Cerne, Adrianna Taranto and Stacey Papadopoulos, who all have four to their name this season.
Last time out the points were shared between the two sides at the Veneto Club, in a cagey 1-1 contest. Will Bulleen finally be able to breach a defence that has conceded just three goals all season in all competitions, or will the Calder United juggernaut march on?
Bayside United have had a fortnight to forget. Two matches where they shipped five against Heidelberg in the league and the cup fell either side of a 9-0 defeat at the hands of South Melbourne on the weekend.
Sitting at the bottom of the table with a -36 goal difference from nine games, it's been a difficult season so far but this Saturday they have a chance to turn the season around when they welcome Box Hill United to Kingston Heath.
Box Hill will be equally eager to restore some momentum as the Club is experiencing a three-game winless run at the moment. A tidy bottom corner finish from Emma Langley was enough to earn a point against Bulleen at Wembley Park last Friday, but it was her side’s only goal since their 2-1 victory over the Bergers in Round 6.
When these two sides last met earlier this season, they couldn’t be split in a dramatic 2-2 draw. Both side’s sets of fans will be hoping for a similar outpouring of goals this time, as Box Hill and Bayside have struggled to find the back of the net in the league this campaign.
Despite Bayside’s difficult run in recent weeks, they will take solace in the fact that they came close to beating Box Hill last time out. As for Box Hill, a return to winning ways is urgent as after recent weeks they find South Melbourne breathing down their necks.
Something has definitely clicked for South Melbourne in the past few weeks. Since they secured their first three points of the season in Round 7, they have gone from strength to strength. Over the past week, however, they have well and truly kicked into top gear.
A 9-0 thrashing over a hapless Bayside last weekend, was followed on Tuesday by a merciless 15-0 rout of State League 3 side Caroline Springs George Cross in the Nike F.C. Cup quarter finals.
24 goals in two games, with the load being shared across 10 different goal scorers, it seems they are starting to match their league form with their devastating cup form
This weekend South welcome Alamein to Lakeside Stadium as they look to continue their resurgence and climb up the table.
Unlike their hosts, Alamein have had a week to forget.
After letting a lead slip late to lose a heartbreaker against Heidelberg on the weekend, they were then dumped out of the Nike F.C. cup by Bulleen in a dramatic extra time thriller.
Alamein have proved a hard side to break down this season, whilst also struggling to break down other teams at the same time. Sitting fourth on the NPLW Victoria table, they could go level on points with third placed Bulleen with a win, but could also drop into the bottom half should they lose.
Their stout defence will be put to the test against the South’s Janna Lawson and Caitlin Pickett, who have 14 and 11 goals respectively in all competitions this season.
Alamein held firm in the reverse fixture, however, when they edged out South 1-0 back in Round 3. Something coach Kat Smith will be sure to remind her players.
Despite the insistent challenge from Calder United, Heidelberg remain at the summit of NPLW Victoria. An 88th minute equaliser from Sophie Papalia, before a 94th minute last gasp winner from Danielle Wise, secured a dramatic three points over Alamein to maintain their slender one point lead in the table.
This Sunday the Bergers travel to Knox to take on the young guns of FV Emerging. Emerging have had mixed results this season, but recent reuslts have seen them drop into seventh on the ladder due to South Melbourne’s resurgence.
League leaders Heidelberg pose an enormous challenge however, all it takes to spark a season to life is a big result against a top team, and in front of their home fans this Sunday is as good a time as ever.
The Bergers will be buoyed by their midweek Nike F.C. cup victory over Bayside United. The aforementioned Danielle Wise, scored two more on Tuesday, taking her total tally in all competitions this season to nine. Wise, along with captain Steph Galea, hold the top two spots on the individual scoring table and pose headaches for any defence they come up against.
The young FV Emerging will have the fresher legs going into Sunday, however, as they were one of the two NPLW Victoria sides not to have a cup fixture midweek. Will they be able to make it count and reverse the 1-0 defeat Heidelberg inflicted on them in Round 3? Or will the Bergers continue to show their class and stay perched atop of the NPLW Victoria pile?