NPL Victoria Men: Alexandros hosts Hellas in a derby of proof and pride

Few matches transportation the weight, meaning and affluent past of the large derby betwixt Alexandros and Hellas.

This Friday (08/05) the two rivals conscionable again for a footballing showdown unfastened to each imaginable outcome. Only 1 constituent separates them connected the table, adding adjacent much spice to the already rima watering Round 12 fixture list.

Both sides person 1 aim: victory.

The hosts are warring to beryllium they still person the powerfulness and prime that delivered past year’s championship, while the visitors want to situation the champions’ authorization and nonstop a large connection crossed the league.

Predictions mean thing successful a lucifer similar this. Every effect is arsenic possible. What will substance is each side’s content successful their coach’s plan, the strength successful the carnal duels, and the sharpness successful beforehand of goal.

One happening is certain: the players will permission everything retired there, the shot will beryllium burning astatine their feet, and the passionateness will beryllium overflowing. May the champion team win.

Later that night, connected the different broadside of town successful Greek dense Oakleigh, the league starring Cannons big Dandenong Thunder.

The Cannons are successful their champion signifier of the season. They’re playing with quality, scoring freely and look acceptable to combat to the extremity for the title.

Thunder, meanwhile, stay the explanation of inconsistency. The Albanian Australian broadside is susceptible of anything. On a bully time they tin origin superior damage; connected a atrocious 1 they concede for amusive and can’t string two passes together. Their presumption connected the table and their results so acold tell the story.

The Greek Australian hosts should, connected paper, person capable to enactment the visitors away. The magic of Guest and the creativity of Diaz, if they look connected the pitch, will apt beryllium capable to unafraid the points.

Bentleigh Greens are hopeless to instrumentality to winning ways this week arsenic they big Melbourne City NPL.

The Greens haven’t tasted victory successful implicit a period and spot Friday’s lucifer arsenic the cleanable accidental to get backmost connected track and adjacent successful connected the top fractional of the table.

City whitethorn not intimidate, but they cognize however to origin problems, particularly distant from home. Last week they near Lakeside with a win implicit Hellas, and earlier successful the play they stunned Dandenong City 2–4 connected their ain turf.

George Katsakis’ broadside indispensable beryllium disciplined, focused and acceptable to combat for each shot if they want to enforce themselves and pouch three precious points.

Organisers pointed to earlier assemblage behaviour for not screening the World Cup astatine Federation Square. Photo: AAP/Will Murray

VPL1

Greek assemblage clubs look hard assignments this week. Round 12 is afloat of matches that could spell either way.

League leaders Northcote City look to person the toughest task, travelling to third–placed Brunswick Juventus. Five points abstracted the two.

For Northcote supporters, this is simply a accidental to widen the spread and strengthen their grip connected top spot. But it won’t beryllium simple. Juventus person beaten strong opponents this season, play charismatic shot and cognize however to get what they want. City’s players will request grit and determination to permission Brunswick with a win.

Ninth placed Leonidas person a much manageable duty arsenic they big North Sunshine Eagles, a nine with much sound successful the stands than interaction connected the pitch.

Brunswick request the win to ascent the table. Anything other is failure, and the players cognize it. With that unit connected their shoulders, they’ll propulsion everything astatine it.

Nea Hellas stay under unit for a 2nd straight season. The larboard broadside nine sits bottommost of the table, acold from where their loyal supporters imagination of seeing them.

This week the Sharks swim into unsafe waters, travelling to Eltham Redbacks. The hosts are a superior broadside who cognize however to get results, arsenic shown by their fourth–place standing.

VPL2

The VPL2 docket is conscionable arsenic fiery, headlined by the large Greek derby betwixt Clarinda and Malvern City.

The lucifer has each eyes connected it. The hosts person been inconsistent, while Malvern, the competition’s Cinderella story, person shocked everyone with ascendant shot and an aboriginal grip connected top spot.

Kick–off is Saturday (09/05) astatine 3pm astatine Kingston City. It’s 1 worth watching.

Second placed and recently promoted Bayside Argonauts deed the roadworthy to Shepparton to look the ever unsafe Valley Suns. The ngo is simple: win, and stay connected Malvern’s heels.

Pythagoras besides play distant this Saturday, travelling to Nunawading for a section derby with large table implications.

The Greek Australian broadside request the three points to stay successful the top four, while the hosts want the win to stay successful the top fractional and support their VPL1 promotion hopes alive.

Bentleigh Greens are hopeless to instrumentality to winning ways this week arsenic they big Melbourne City NPL. Photo: Con Deves

NPL – FIXTURES

Friday, 8 May

Heidelberg United – South Melbourne 7.30pm

St Albans – Green Gully 7.30pm

Bentleigh Greens – Melbourne City NPL 7.30pm

Oakleigh Cannons – Dandenong Thunder 8.15pm

Preston Lions – Dandenong City 8.30pm

Saturday, 9 May

Avondale – Altona Magic 3pm

George Cross – Hume City 6pm

STANDINGS

Oakleigh Cannons 11 23

South Melbourne 11 21

Heidelberg United 11 20

Hume City 11 20

Avondale 11 19

Preston Lions 11 14

Melbourne City NPL 11 14

Bentleigh Greens 11 14

George Cross 11 14

St Albans Saints 11 13

Dandenong Thunder 11 11

Altona Magic 11 10

Dandenong City 11 8

Green Gully 11 3

The magic of Guest and the creativity of Diaz, if they look connected the pitch, will apt beryllium capable to unafraid the points for the Cannons this week. Photo: Con Deves

VPL1 – FIXTURES

Friday, 8 May

Brunswick City – North Sunshine Eagles 7.30pm

Brunswick Juventus – Northcote City 8.30pm

Eltham Redbacks – Port Melbourne Sharks 8.30pm

Saturday, 9 May

Langwarrin – Melbourne Knights 3pm

Bulleen Lions – Melbourne Srbija 6.30pm

Sunday, 10 May

Western United VPL1 – North Geelong 2pm

Monday, 11 May

Melbourne Victory VPL1 – Manningham United Blues 8.30pm

STANDINGS

Northcote City 11 26

Melbourne Knights 11 22

Brunswick Juventus 11 21

Eltham Redbacks 11 20

Bulleen Lions 11 20

Manningham United 11 19

North Geelong Warriors 11 18

Melbourne Victory VPL1 11 14

Brunswick City 11 13

Melbourne Srbija 11 12

Western United VPL1 11 12

North Sunshine Eagles 11 9

VPL2 – FIXTURES

Friday, 8 May

Eastern Lions – Altona City 19:45

Keilor Park – Essendon Royals 19:45

Springvale White Eagles – Werribee City 8.30pm

Saturday, 9 May

Moreland City – Whittlesea United 2pm

Nunawading City – Box City United 3pm

Kingston City – Malvern City 3pm

Goulburn Valley Suns – Bayside Argonauts 7pm

STANDINGS

Malvern 11 28

Argonauts 11 21

Valley 11 20

Box Hill 11 20

Royals 11 18

Nunawading 11 15

Werribee 11 13

Keilor Park 11 13

Kingston 10 13

Lions 11 12

Springvale 11 12

Whittlesea 11 10

Altona 11 9

Moreland 10 6