VPL Wrap: The game always delivers

Whilst much has been made on the future of football in Victoria of late, the game itself never fails to disappoint and once again the Victorian Premier League had plenty of action.

Northcote stumbled again, Green Gully, Port Melbourne and South Melbourne made the race for the last few finals spots interesting while Bentleigh and the Knights kept the pressure on for top spot.

Bentleigh Greens 4 (Sherbon 6’, 33’, 65’, De Abreu 89’)
Pascoe Vale 1 (Covarrubias 46’)
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

Bentleigh held onto second spot on the table edging closer to the slipping Nortcote with a 4-1 thumping of Pascoe Vale. A hat trick to star striker Luke Sherbon sent a warning to the rest of the League that the Greens are a genuine threat for the title this season.

An early present for football fans next week when second placed Bentleigh travel to third placed Melbourne Knights in the match of the round. Pascoe Vale host Dandenong.


Port Melbourne 3 (Bowen 52’, Rosman 82’, Hockless 90’)
Richmond 0
JL Murphy Reserve

Three second half goals saw Port Melbourne keep their finals hopes alive accounting for struggling Richmond 3-0. It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Sharks who scored two late goals to seal the victory over the 11th placed Eagles.

Port Melbourne host their biggest game in many years when Green Gully visit next round in what could very well be an early elimination final. Richmond go to Hume City.


South Melbourne 6 (Rixon 34’, 45’, Hopper 62’, 85’, 88’, Soolsma 89')
Hume City 1  (Romein 57’)
Lakeside Stadium

South Melbourne's Jekyll and Hyde season continues, this time making Hume City look second rate in a 6-1 win keeping South in the finals race and a smile on the suffering fans faces. A hat trick to Luke Hopper and a brace for Trent Rixon saw the Lakeside club take all three points in devastating fashion.

South need to continue to accumulate wins in the run home to the finals if they are to make it, continuing next week with the speed hump fixture away to Oakleigh. Hume should get back on the winners list when they welcome Richmond to Broadmeadows Valley Park.


Green Gully Cavaliers 3 (Own goal 10’, Sanders (Pen) 52’, Hayne 77’)
Northcote City 1 (Piemonte 90’)
Green Gully Reserve

Green Gully showed it will be a force to be reckoned with come finals time with a resounding 3-1 win over top placed Northcote. The Cavaliers kept their spot in the final five even after going down to ten men at half time when Andy Vargas was sent off, receiving his two yellows within seconds off each other.

Green Gully played great football in the second half and deserved the win. Questions now hang over Northcote’s mental state: after such a dominate first half of the season City are officially in a slump.

They will look to dig their way out of it when they host Southern Stars next week. Gully go to Port Melbourne in a genuine six pointer.

The SS in action. Credit: Cindy Nitsos

Southern Stars 0
Melbourne Knights 1 (Cvitkovic 7')
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex

Melbourne Knights set up a huge clash next week when they accounted for the plucky Southern Stars away. An early goal to Marijan Cvitkovic was enough to see the Knights stay just behind Bentleigh on goal difference with the Greens heading to Sommers St next week in the mouth-watering clash. The Stars, who have little left to play for travel to top of the table Northcote.


Dandenong Thunder 3 (Elmazovski, McIlroy, Frazier)
Oakleigh Cannons 1 (Bosnjak)
George Andrews Reserve

Not many people would have picked the grand final rematch as eighth versus ninth at the beginning of the season but that is where these two high flyers from last season are sitting at the moment. Despite their lowly positions the two teams produced an entertaining game with Dandenong coming from a goal down to record a 3-1 win.

Thunder are still a chance to get into a position to defend the title they won so convincingly last season but Oakleigh must continue to win to keep their slim hopes alive and face the unpredictable South Melbourne next round. Dandenong go to Pascoe Vale where it is always hard to get a win.

POS	TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Northcote City	17	11	4	2	43	12	31	37
2	Bentleigh Greens	17	8	7	2	31	16	15	31
3	Melbourne Knights	17	9	4	4	25	18	7	31
4	Hume City	17	9	1	7	25	35	-10	28
5	Green Gully Cavaliers	16	8	3	5	25	20	5	27
6	Port Melbourne Sharks	17	8	3	6	24	23	1	27
7	South Melbourne	17	7	4	6	34	29	5	25
8	Dandenong Thunder	16	8	2	6	25	21	4	23
9	Oakleigh Cannons	16	6	3	7	27	25	2	21
10	Pascoe Vale	17	4	4	9	17	23	-6	16
11	Richmond	16	1	4	11	20	38	-18	7
12	Southern Stars	17	0	3	14	10	46	-36	3