VPL Wrap: Return of the glory days

Round Two is done and dusted and the Victorian Premier League has an old school look on top of the table with former super clubs South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights filling first and second. At the other end of the ladder it's not looking good for the two sides The Football Sack picked to make the Grand final as Dandenong (having started on negative three points) have only managed a draw and Oakleigh haven't registered a point. All making for an intriguing VPL season to come.

Pascoe Vale 0
Northcote City 1 (Lujic 56')
Hosken Reserve

Northcote are yet to drop any points as they accounted for newly promoted Pascoe Vale. Pacco are still looking for their first VPL points and for the second time in two games was unable to get a point against a side that was down a man for a half of football. Northcote 'keeper Siddall was sent off on the half time whistle and that should have been the catalyst for a Pascoe Vale win.

Northcote, who were able to find the back of the net, have set up a mouth-watering clash against Melbourne Knights this week and Pascoe Vale travel to Port Melbourne to play their fellow promoted side.


Oakleigh Cannons 1 (Vittiglia 54')
Port Melbourne Sharks 3 (Sarkies 2' Ibrahim 30' Hockless (pen) 94')
Jack Edwards Reserve

Port Melbourne showed us why many are predicting the Sharks to thrive in the league with a good win over title favourites Oakleigh; their first win in the Victorian top flight since 2002. Goals to established VPL players Kristian Sarkies, Kamal Ibrahim and Graeme Hockless were exactly what Port needed to keep the Cannons winless and rooted to the bottom of the table.

The Sharks take on the fellow promoted side Pascoe Vale next week. Oakleigh have a huge task finding their first points when the travel to Green Gully.


Richmond 1 (Kweifio-Okai 62')
Melbourne Knights 4 (Colosimo 2' Cvitkovic 28' 77' Alinejad 75')
Kevin Bartlett Reserve

Melbourne Knights sit comfortably equal top of the ladder after their second win of the season; this time a comfortable 4-1 win over Richmond. Andrew Marth continues to work magic on the Knights who have slipped to low table obscurity over the past few seasons.

A genuine early six pointed awaits the Knights this week when they face the unbeaten Northcote away. The task is no easier for Richmond when they visit a Dandenong Thunder side hungry for their first win of the season.


Hume City 1 (Canham 83’)
Green Gully 4 (Cahill 19' 82' Fleming 49' Harding 90+3')
Broadmeadows Valley Park

Green Gully sent an ominous warning to the rest of the competition with a big victory at Broadmeadows Valley Park. It was Gully's first win of the season and they were in control well before Atilla Ofli’s red card put Hume further on the back foot.

The match highlighted the impact Tom Cahill could potentially have on the VPL having been pried from Richmond where we finished fourth in the golden boot despite only arriving in the mid-season transfer window.

Next week Gully will look to capitalise on Oakleigh’s poor form while Hume could bounce back against the winless Southern Stars.


Dandenong Thunder 0
Bentleigh Greens 3 (Stirton 13’ 20’ Sherbon 86’)
George Andrews Reserve

Dandenong remain at the bottom of the table with -2 points after running into VPL title favourites Bentleigh Greens in hot form. The Greens’ big recruits David Stirton and Luke Sherbon scored all the goals between them, the latter against his former club.


With the risk of Bentleigh’s dominance disappearing as young Victory star Luke O’Dea limped off the field with a knee injury, a red card to Thunder’s Liam Kearney swung the match back in their favour.

Dandenong will complete their second of five closed door matches on Saturday as they host Richmond. Bentleigh will face South Melbourne in the match of the round.


Southern Stars 0
South Melbourne 3 (Gasparis 31' 47' Kelly 84')
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

The giants of Australian football are back on top of the VPL ladder after brushing aside southern stars 3-0 to claim back-to-back away wins. The match was a complete domination with Stars never looking in the contest.

This leaves South with six goals for and no goals against in their opening two matches, leaving next week’s top of the table clash against Bentleigh Greens nothing short of mouth watering.

Southern Stars will play Hume City.

POS	TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	South Melbourne FC	2	2	0	0	6	0	6	6
2	Melbourne Knights FC	2	2	0	0	5	1	4	6
3	Bentleigh Greens SC	2	2	0	0	4	0	4	6
4	Northcote City SC	2	2	0	0	4	0	4	6
5	Port Melbourne Sharks SC	2	1	0	1	3	2	1	3
6	Green Gully Cavaliers SC	2	1	0	1	4	4	0	3
7	Hume City FC	2	1	0	1	2	4	-2	3
8	Southern Stars FC	2	0	1	1	0	3	-3	1
9	Pascoe Vale SC	2	0	0	2	0	2	-2	0
10	Richmond FC	2	0	0	2	1	5	-4	0
11	Oakleigh Cannons FC	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0
12	Dandenong Thunder SC	2	0	1	1	0	3	-3	-2

Round Three Fixtures
Bentleigh Greens v South Melbourne, 8:15pm Friday 19 April, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Port Melbourne Sharks v Pascoe Vale, 8:30pm Friday 19 April, JL Murphy Reserve
Dandenong Thunder v Richmond, 3pm Saturday 20 April, George Andrews Reserve
Green Gully Cavaliers v Oakleigh Cannons, 3pm Saturday 20 April, Green Gully Reserve
Southern Stars v Hume City, 6pm Saturday 20 April, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Northcote City v Melbourne Knights, 3pm Sunday 21 April, John Cain Memorial Park