NPL – Round 12

Oakleigh Cannons v South Melbourne
2nd v 1st     
8.30pm, Friday June 6, 2014
Jack Edwards Reserve
Radio: Live on NPL VIC Live (or via TuneIn app on smartphones – search ‘Live Cast’)
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #OCvSM #NPLVIC

Last round:
Oakleigh Cannons 2-0 Werribee City
South Melbourne 5-0 Dandenong Thunder

Form:
Oakleigh Cannons: WWDLW
South Melbourne: WWWWW

This one has been pencilled in everyone’s diaries for at least a month. Oakleigh remains undefeated at home and its rival South Melbourne is on a winning streak of 11 matches, but one of those records will be broken as first and second meet in the match of the season.

The Cannons sit nine points behind South Melbourne and can’t afford to lose this one. They’ve been criticised in the past for not performing on the big stage and have the perfect opportunity to make a statement on Friday night.

The tactical battle between coaches Miron Bleiberg (Oakleigh) and Chris Taylor (South Melbourne) will be an intriguing one, while four players from Northcote City’s 2013 Victorian Premier League championship squad – Boni Obradovic and Dean Piemonte (Oakleigh), Milos Lujic and Michael Eagar (South Melbourne) – add another point of interest to this contest.

Port Melbourne Sharks v Pascoe Vale
11th v 10th      
8.30pm, Friday June 6, 2014
JL Murphy Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #PMvPV #NPLVIC

Last round:
Port Melbourne Sharks 2-4 Bentleigh Greens
Goulburn Valley Suns 0-2 Pascoe Vale

Form:
Port Melbourne Sharks: WWDLL
Pascoe Vale: LDLWW

It was the same old story for the Sharks last week, who again surrendered an early lead to lose at home. Coach Eric Vassiliadis has put the inconsistency down to inexperience, but he’ll need to turn his side’s fortunes around pretty quickly to avoid falling into the relegation zone (13th-14th).

fter a slow start, Pascoe Vale has hit its straps and is gunning for a third successive win. This shapes as an even contest between two sides who can’t afford to drop points.

Green Gully v Northcote City
7th v 8th       
3.00pm, Saturday June 7, 2014
Green Gully Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #GGvNC #NPLVIC
Highlights to follow on FFV TV

Last round:
Green Gully 1-0 Melbourne Knights
Heidelberg United 1-1 Northcote City

Form:
Green Gully: WLLWW
Northcote City: LLDWD

One month ago, both these sides had major problems in defence but have rectified them, with Green Gully keeping clean sheets in its past two league wins under new coach Bob Stojcevski and Northcote City conceding two goals in its past three outings.

Old habits crept in for Green Gully in its 4-1 midweek loss to Melbourne Knights in the Dockerty Cup however, a concerning loss given the Knights’ much-publicised injury crisis and Green Gully’s success in previous Dockerty Cup campaigns.

Can Green Gully pick itself up or will the Northcote City boys, whose recent form has stacked up against top-three teams Oakleigh and Heidelberg United, run away with the points?

Goulburn Valley Suns v Dandenong Thunder
14th v 5th
6.30pm, Saturday June 7, 2014
McEwen Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #GVSvDT #NPLVIC

Last round:
Goulburn Valley Suns 0-2 Pascoe Vale
South Melbourne 5-0 Dandenong Thunder

Form:
Goulburn Valley Suns: WLDLL
Dandenong Thunder: LWLWL

Dandenong was left Thunder-struck against South Melbourne last week, just four days after becoming the only team to keep the league leader goalless in 90 minutes this year when the two sides met in Round 6 of the Dockerty Cup.

Thunder coach Dean Hennessey said his side had “come of age” in that Dockerty Cup tie, but they continue to be crippled by inconsistency.

The bottom-placed Suns are stuck in a deep hole and have shown nothing to suggest they’ll be getting out of it anytime soon. They are yet to win in Shepparton.

Hume City v Bentleigh Greens
6th v 4th          
3.00pm, Sunday June 8, 2014
Broadmeadows Valley Park
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #HCvBG #NPLVIC

Last round:
Ballarat Red Devils 1-3 Hume City
Port Melbourne Sharks 2-4 Bentleigh Greens

Form:
Hume City: WWDLW
Bentleigh Greens: LLDLW

After a much-needed win last week, John Anastasiadis promised we’d see a “much different” Bentleigh from now on, and the Greens have so far proven their coach correct with their 1-0 win over Bulleen in the Dockerty Cup on Wednesday night.

They have ambitions to win the title and showed great resilience in a week where they lost star Melbourne Victory National Youth League midfielder Luc Jeggo to a season-ending ACL injury.

There will be plenty of young talent on show as Jeggo’s Victory teammates Anthony Proia, Christoper Cristaldo and Johnny Buceto line up for Hume City.

Melbourne Knights v Ballarat Red Devils
13th v 12th
3.00pm, Sunday June 8, 2014
Knights Stadium
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #MKvBRD #NPLVIC

Last round:
Green Gully 1-0 Melbourne Knights
Ballarat Red Devils 1-3 Hume City

Form:
Melbourne Knights: LLLWL
Ballarat Red Devils: LLWLL

It was hard to find a kink in the Knights’ armour in their midweek Dockerty Cup win over Green Gully, with the team’s mix of experience and youth combining well in the 4-1 win.

The loss came at a price however, with a shin injury forcing Anthony Colosimo to be substituted off early.

With their growing injury list, the Knights will need to dig deep again but come up against a Ballarat outfit which is a long way off its best.

Heidelberg United v Werribee City
3rd v 9th
5.00pm, Sunday June 8, 2014
Olympic Village
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #HUvWC #NPLVIC

Last round:
Heidelberg United 1-1 Northcote City
Oakleigh Cannons 2-0 Werribee City

Form:
Heidelberg United: WWWWD
Werribee City: LDWLL

Werribee City has shown it can trouble the top sides but is lacking the class to defeat them, with coach Nino Ragusa forecasting several moves during the upcoming transfer window as a remedy.

The Bees will need to cause a massive upset to topple Heidelberg United, which hasn’t lost since Round 5 and could move into the top two after this round.

Leading goalscorers:

10 – Daniel Heffernan (Heidelberg United), Milos Lujic (South Melbourne)
9 – Craig Carley (Goulburn Valley Suns)
7 – Brent McGrath (Bentleigh Greens)
6 – Matthew Sanders (Green Gully), Kaine Sheppard (Heidelberg United), Dusan Bosnjak (Oakleigh Cannons), Nate Foster (Oakleigh Cannons), Jamie Reed (South Melbourne)
5 – Trent Rixon (Northcote City), Kevin Braniff (Port Melbourne Sharks)

NPL 1 – Round 11

Whittlesea Ranges v Box Hill United
12th v 5th  
8.30pm, Friday June 6, 2014
Epping Stadium
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #WRvBHU #NPLVIC
Highlights to follow on FFV TV

Richmond v Brunswick City
7th v 14th      
8.30pm, Friday June 6, 2014
Kevin Bartlett Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #RSCvBC #NPLVIC

Avondale Heights v Springvale White Eagles
1st v 8th        
3.00pm, Saturday June 7, 2014
Avondale Heights Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #AHvSWE #NPLVIC

Sunshine George Cross v FC Bulleen Lions
3rd v 2nd   
3.00pm, Saturday June 7, 2014
Chaplin Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SGCvBL #NPLVIC

Kingston City v FC Bendigo
6th v 13th      
7.00pm, Saturday June 7, 2014
The Grange Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #KCvFCB #NPLVIC

St Albans Saints v North Geelong Warriors
4th v 9th  
3.00pm, Sunday June 8, 2014
Churchill Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SASvNGW #NPLVIC

Moreland Zebras v Dandenong City
11th v 10th
3.00pm, Sunday June 8, 2014
De Chene Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #MZvDC #NPLVIC

Photos by Cindy Nitsos (left) and Jason Heidrich (right)