VPL Finals Week One: Oakleigh Cannons

With another home & away season in the Victorian Premier League done and dusted, now begins the always entertaining finals series. Here we preview Oakleigh Cannons' chances as they take on Green Gully in the Qualifying Final at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex at 5pm Sunday.

Read the Green Gully Cavaliers preview here.

Season summary:
After taking Oakleigh to the VPL Grand Final in 2011, where they suffered a 3-2 loss at the hands of Green Gully, coach Arthur Papas left the club to take up an assistant role at Melbourne Heart FC's youth side.

That paved the way for Huss Skenderovic to take the reigns. But he was shown the door in June and replaced by not one but two head coaches; Peter Zois and Bill Theodoropoulos. Oakleigh were sitting in fourth position when the managerial changeover took place, and enjoyed a great run of form afterwards, which included just one loss in their next eight matches.

The run to the end didn't go as smoothly though with home losses to Melbourne Knights and Northcote City jeopardising their second place finish. But a final day win against Bentleigh Greens saw them seal second place with Ricky Diaco finishing the home & away season with a total of eight goals.

Finals path:
After finishing second on the table, Oakleigh will face third-placed Green Gully in the Qualifying Final this Sunday 23 September at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. The winner will go on to face Minor Premiers Dandenong Thunder next week in the Major Semi Final, while the loser must face the winner of the fourth vs fifth clash between Bentleigh Greens and Northcote City.

Player to look out for:
It's difficult to identify just one player to look out for from Oakleigh, but you just can't go past Ricky Diaco. The former Melbourne Victory striker has had his best season in Oakleigh colours since moving from South Melbourne at the end of the 2008 season. Even if the 30-year-old isn't given a start, one can not doubt his impact off the bench. Green Gully must beware.

Why they will beat Green Gully:
Green Gully seem to turn on their best in the finals series, but a number of injuries to key players this season has seen them have a rather difficult campaign. Oakleigh will still have last years Grand Final fresh in their minds and will be looking to extract some revenge against the Cavaliers.

Why they won't beat Green Gully:
As mentioned above, Green Gully seem to turn it on each year in the finals. They have won the past two and will be very keen to make it three in a row. It's sure to be a very even and competitive contest, one which is not to be missed.

DETAILS:
Who: Oakleigh Cannons vs Green Gully Cavaliers
Where: Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
When: Sunday 23 September, 5pm

Team previews for the Elimination Final: Bentleigh Greens v Northcote City.