VPL Wrap: Wheat from the Chaff

Northcote City are the big winners from the weekend as they pounded Richmond 7-2 to remain the only unbeaten side in the Victorian Premier League. In the space of two games Northcote have score twelve times.

Green Gully are stuttering, Oakleigh will be lamenting lost points and Port Melbourne are holding steady in their first visit back to the VPL in years. In only four rounds Richmond have a negative goal difference of 11 and their work cut out for them for the rest of the season.

The league takes a break this weekend as VPL and State League One sides enter the State Knockout Cup.

Pascoe Vale 2 (Micovski 70' Ferrante 93')
Green Gully Cavaliers 1 (Vanega 44')
Hosken Reserve

Pascoe Vale celebrated their first ever win in the Victorian Premier League with a late winner over VPL mainstays Green Gully in front of a healthy crowd at Hosken reserve. Former West Ham youth player Michael Ferrante was the hero with a winner three minutes into stoppage time.


Oakleigh Cannons 1 (Diaco 25')
Southern Stars 1 (Obaze (66')
Jack Edwards Reserve

A brave Southern Stars outfit were able to keep Oakleigh to a draw despite playing the majority of the game with ten men and eventually nine. Coming from behind the Stars will hold this draw as one of their best ever results in the VPL while Oakleigh will be disappointed they could not take all three points in a game they should have won.


Richmond FC 2 (Lokvancic 5’ Armenian 52’)
Northcote City 7 (Piemonte 2’ 85’ Lujic 28’ 77’ Catalano 18’ Kounavelis 45’ Chiappetta 92’)
Kevin Bartlett Reserve

Northcote City shot to the top of the table with an emphatic 7-2 win over Richmond at Richmond. Northcote remain the only unbeaten side in the competition and look to be the goods at this early stage. Richmond are in struggle town and need a quick fix if they are to remain competitive this season.


Dandenong Thunder 3 (Kelly 25’ (OG) Hopper 77’ Foster 85’)
South Melbourne 0
George Andrews Reserve

South Melbourne were brought back down to earth with a thud after they suffered their first loss of the season to reigning premiers Dandenong. The Thunder are coming from back in the pack but look to be on track with this win against a side that had been playing good football.


Hume City 1 (Canham 4')
Bentleigh Greens 4 (Sherbon 58' 90+3' Etheridge 63' De Abreu 89')
Broadmeadows Valley Park

Bentleigh showed why they are favoured by many to take out silverware this season with a solid win away at Hume. Star recruit Luke Sherbon scored twice as the Greens keep up the pressure on flyers Northcote. Hume took an early lead but after half time it was a different game as Bentleigh flexed their muscles with four goals in just over half an hour.


Melbourne Knights 0
Port Melbourne Sharks 0
Knights Stadium

A 0-0 draw was the result at Knights Stadium on Sunday as neither the Knights nor Port Melbourne could break the deadlock in a captivating encounter. Both sides sit inside the top five at the minute but will need to be able to be better in front of goal if they are going to challenge the big guns throughout the season. Defensively it was important for the Knights to keep a clean sheet after they were routed 5-1 last week.

LADDER AFTER ROUND 4

POS	TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Northcote City SC	4	4	0	0	16	3	13	12
2	Bentleigh Greens SC	4	3	0	1	9	3	6	9
3	South Melbourne FC	4	3	0	1	8	4	4	9
4	Port Melbourne Sharks SC	4	2	1	1	6	3	3	7
5	Melbourne Knights FC	4	2	1	1	6	6	0	7
6	Hume City FC	4	2	0	2	5	9	-4	6
7	Dandenong Thunder SC	4	2	1	1	6	4	2	4
8	Oakleigh Cannons FC	4	1	1	2	3	7	-4	4
9	Green Gully Cavaliers SC	4	1	0	3	5	7	-2	3
10	Pascoe Vale SC	4	1	0	3	3	6	-3	3
11	Southern Stars FC	4	0	2	2	2	6	-4	2
12	Richmond FC	4	0	0	4	4	15	-11	0

Round Five Fixtures
Bentleigh Greens v Oakleigh Cannons, 8:15pm Friday 10 May, Kinston Heath Soccer ComplexPort Melbourne Sharks v Northcote City, 8:30pm Friday 10 May, JL Murphy Reserve
Dandenong Thunder v Hume City, 3pm Saturday 11 May, George Andrews Reserve
Green Gully Cavaliers v Melbourne Knights, 3pm Saturday 11 May, Green Gully Reserve
Southern Stars v Pascoe Vale, 6pm Saturday 11 May, Kingston Heath Soccer Club
South Melbourne v Richmond, 3pm Sunday 12 May, Lakeside Stadium