NPL Round 22

Port Melbourne Sharks v Melbourne Knights
10th v 9th 
8:30pm, Friday August 8, 2014
JL Murphy Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #PMvMK #NPLVIC

Last game:
Hume City 2-1 Port Melbourne
Melbourne Knights 0-2 Heidelberg United

Form:
Port Melbourne: WDDWL
Melbourne Knights: WWLDL

Last time they met:
Melbourne Knights 3-1 Port Melbourne Sharks, Round 10, 2014

Following a four-game unbeaten run, Port Melbourne tasted defeat against nine-man Hume City last week, and will be wary of the Knights this weekend.

The Knights have had a rough couple of weeks in terms of results and suspensions, but will be buoyed by the fact they defeated Port Melbourne earlier this season to snap their eight-game losing streak.

Both sides are only separated on the table by goal difference, and are still not entirely safe from the drop zone.

Expect a tense battle at JL Murphy Reserve on Friday night, as both sides constest this mid-table clash.

Green Gully v Hume City
7th v 5th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Green Gully Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #GGvHC #NPLVIC

Last game:
Green Gully 2-1 Ballarat Red Devils
Hume City 2-1 Port Melbourne Sharks

Form:
Green Gully: LLDDW
Hume City: WLWLW

Last time they met:
Hume City 0-3 Green Gully, Round 10, 2014

Last week’s win over Ballarat extended Green Gully’s unbeaten run to three games, and it will be confident of keeping that run going against Hume City this weekend, especially having already beaten City this season.

Gully has also not failed to score in a home fixture this season, but finds itself up against the fourth-best defensive record in the league.

If Hume’s recent form trend is anything to go by, this should be a loss. 

But the young side has bundles of attacking talent, and should it click we could be in for a bit of a fun goal fest. 

Ballarat Red Devils v Dandenong Thunder
12th v 13th 
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Morshead Park Stadium
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #BRDvDT #NPLVIC

Last game:
Green Gully 2-1 Ballarat Red Devils
Werribee City 2-1 Dandenong Thunder

Form:
Ballarat Red Devils: DDWLL
Dandenong Thunder: LLLDL

Last time they met:
Dandenong Thunder 3-1 Ballarat Red Devils, Round 10, 2014

If there was ever a time for Ballarat to win a game, it would be this one.

After a good patch of results, the Red Devils have stumbled in their past two games and a loss in this one will put a massive dent in the club’s survival hopes.

Dandenong Thunder’s freefall towards the relegation zone continued in its loss to Werribee City last weekend, and it has to win this match to ensure there are no dramas come the end of the season.

When the Thunder take the field in Ballarat, two months will have passed since the side’s last win, and this is one battle not to be missed.

Heidelberg United v Bentleigh Greens
3rd v 4th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Olympic Village
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #HUvBG #NPLVIC
Highlights to follow on FFV TV

Last game:
Melbourne Knights 0-2 Heidelberg United
Bentleigh Greens 2-1 South Melbourne (Round 20, midweek)

Form:
Heidelberg United: DDWDW
Bentleigh Greens: WWLDW

Last time they met:
Bentleigh Greens 1-3 Heidelberg United, Round 10, 2014

This battle for third place promises to be a cracker, especially with Bentleigh on a high after defeating South Melbourne on Wednesday night.

While the Greens may have to rest a few tired legs ahead of their Westfield FFA Cup tie against Blacktown City, they will be fueled with determination to avenge the loss to Heidelberg back in Round 10.

That night Bentleigh felt it was the better side despite going down, but Heidelberg does not care one bit.

Back to winning ways against a depleted Melbourne Knights, it will look to dish out the same punishment on Bentleigh come Saturday afternoon.

Goulburn Valley Suns v Northcote City
14th v 6th
6:30pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
McEwen Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #GVSvNC #NPLVIC

Last game:
Bentleigh Greens 2-2 Goulburn Valley Suns
Northcote City 1-3 Oakleigh Cannons

Form:
Goulburn Valley Suns: LLWDD
Northcote City: DWDDL

Last time they met:
Northcote City 3-0 Goulburn Valley Suns, Round 10, 2014

David Davkovski continued to work his magic against Bentleigh Greens last week, guiding the Suns to a 2-2 draw at Kingston Heath.

The coach seems to have galvanised the squad, but this week is another stern test for GV Suns, especially to prove that its recent upturn in form is not just down to the ‘new manager effect’.

Meanwhile, Northcote City has taken a downturn in results, failing to win in its last three games.

Leading a rather congested midfield pack, another poor result could see it slide down the table and further away from Hume who sits comfortably in fifth.


Oakleigh Cannons v Pascoe Vale
2nd v 8th
3:15pm, Sunday August 10, 2014
Jack Edwards Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #OCvPV #NPLVIC

Last round:
Northcote City 1-3 Oakleigh Cannons
Pascoe Vale 0-3 South Melbourne

Form:
Oakleigh Cannons: WWLWW
Pascoe Vale: DDWLL

Last time they met:
Pascoe Vale 2-0 Oakleigh Cannons, Round 10, 2014

Oakleigh will be fired up for this clash having witnessed South Melbourne slip up in mid-week to Bentleigh Greens, and knows it has to keep winning to take the title chase down to the wire.

There won’t be any cheeky chips from Davey van’t Schip this time around either, with the Dutchman now back home in the Netherlands, and after defeating Northcote last week, the Cannons will want to ensure they maintain their momentum.

Pascoe Vale has fallen away after its mid-season burst of form, and needs to rediscover that winning feeling once again if the side are to get anything away from Jack Edwards Reserve.

South Melbourne v Werribee City
1st v 11th
5:00pm, Sunday August 10, 2014
Lakeside Stadium
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SMvWC #NPLVIC

Last game:
Bentleigh Greens 2-1 South Melbourne
Werribee City 2-1 Dandenong Thunder

Form:
South Melbourne: WWDWL
Werribee City: LLLWW

Last time they met:
Werribee City 0-1 South Melbourne, Round 10, 2014

South Melbourne lost only its second game during the week to Bentleigh, but if anything that should only fuel its fire for this clash.

The title remains South’s to lose however, and a win against Werribee will simply take the side one step closer to clinching the crown.

Werribee is on a roll, having won its last two games against Pascoe Vale and Dandenong Thunder, and has eased some fear of relegation.

But the Bees still remain too close to the drop zone for any sort of comfort, and with a difficult run in to negotiate, will need to take their chances when they arise.

NPL leading goalscorers:

16 – Daniel Heffernan (Heidelberg United)
15 –Milos Lujic (South Melbourne)
13 – Dean Piemonte (Oakleigh Cannons)
10 – Brent McGrath (Bentleigh Greens),David Stirton (Bentleigh Greens), Dusan Bosnjak (Oakleigh Cannons) Goran Zoric (Oakleigh Cannons), Craig Carley (Goulburn Valley Suns)
9 – Kaine Sheppard (Heidelberg United), Nate Foster (Oakleigh Cannons)
8 – Mathew Sanders (Green Gully)  Osagie Ederaro (Green Gully), Jason Hayne (Green Gully), Jamie Reed (South Melbourne)
7 – Jake Nakic (Pascoe Vale), Wade Dekker (Northcote City)
6 – Leigh Minopoulos (South Melbourne), Jack Petrie (Heidelberg United)
5 – Deang Aguek (Ballarat Red Devils), Daniel O’Donnell (Ballarat Red Devils), Matt Millar (Dandenong Thunder), Daniel Vasilevski (Heidelberg United), Daniel Visevic (Melbourne Knights), Jonathon Munoz (Northcote City), Trent Rixon (Northcote City), Kevin Braniff (Port Melbourne), Lambros Honos (Port Melbourne), Luca Santilli (Pascoe Vale), Mathew Theodore (South Melbourne), Steven Cudrig (Werribee City)

NPL 1 – Round 20

Richmond SC v Avondale Heights
4th v 1st 
8:30pm, Friday August 8, 2014
Kevin Bartlett Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #RSCvAH #NPLVIC
Radio: Live on NPLVIC Live (or via TuneIn app on smartphones - search ‘LiveCast’)
Highlights to follow on FFV TV 

Brunswick City v Moreland Zebras
14th v 7th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Dunstan Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #BCvMZ #NPLVIC

North Geelong Warriors v Sunshine George Cross
2nd v 9th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Elcho Park
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #NGWvSGC #NPLVIC

Dandenong City v FC Bendigo
8th v 12th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
Frank Holohan Soccer Complex
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #DCvFCB #NPLVIC

Springvale White Eagles v FC Bulleen Lions
12th v 6th
3:00pm, Saturday August 9, 2014
White Eagles Stadium
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SWEvBL #NPLVIC

St Albans Saints v Whittlesea Ranges
5th v 13th
3:00pm, Sunday August 10, 2014
Churchill Reserve
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SASvWR #NPLVIC

Box Hill United v Kingston City
3rd v 10th
3:15pm, Sunday August 10, 2014
Wembley Park
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #BHUvKC #NPLVIC

NPL 1 leading goalscorers:

20 – Joseph Katebian (FC Bulleen Lions)
17 – Tom Cahill (Richmond)
12 – Rinor Muriqi (Box Hill United)
11 – Kenny Athiu (Box Hill United), Max Etheridge (Kingston City)
10 – Oleksiy Khrapko (Avondale Heights),Andrew Le Page (Avondale Heights), Nick Symeoy (Moreland Zebras), Hamlet Armenian (Richmond), Juso Julardzija (North Geelong Warriors, St Albans Saints)
9 – Gino Defeo (Kingston City),Mark Paleka (North Geelong Warriors)
8 – Reardo Luka (North Geelong Warriors), Vojislav Milojevic (Springvale White Eagles)
7 – Barry Devlin (St Albans Saints), Dario Matkovic (Dandenong City), Kliment Dimitrieski (Whittlesea Ranges), Manuell Sadik (Sunshine George Cross), George Slefendorfas (FC Bendigo)
6 – Matthew Breeze (FC Bendigo), Jamie De Smit (Springvale White Eagles), Goran Jozeljic (Dandenong City), Velibor Mitrovic (Kingston City), Jason Principato (Avondale Heights), Stjepan Trbuhovic (Whittlesea Ranges)
5 – Ryan Don Paul (Springvale White Eagles), Matthew Iuliano (Whittlesea Ranges), Sean McIlroy (St Albans Saints), Delfin Mosibe (Sunshine George Cross)