NPL Victoria Men: Ladder–leading South Melbourne faces a tough test against Melbourne City

The play is slowly taking shape. The contenders are emerging, the favourites are opening to propulsion away, the passionateness is rising and each circular is pushing the tension into the red.

We’ve reached Round 11 and the weekend brings fixtures that could shingle up the ladder and inject adjacent much intrigue into what has already been a highly entertaining season.

Sitting astatine the top is the outstanding South Melbourne. This week the league leaders person a aureate accidental to slope different three points and stay perched astatine the summit.

Their hostile doesn’t intimidate, rather the opposite. With three draws and two losses successful their past 5 outings, Melbourne City NPL look to beryllium successful freefall. If South stick to the coach’s program and bring the close vigor onto the park, the location broadside should person small trouble securing a win that keeps them looking down connected the remainder of the competition.

Oakleigh Cannons look their ain duty distant to cellar dwellers Green Gully.

Chris Taylor’s broadside look to person settled, recovered their bushed and look acceptable to pursuit the title each the way to the decorativeness line. Last week’s comfy win implicit Bentleigh Greens brought smiles and optimism to the Oakleigh camp. The purpose is simple: stay within striking region of top spot.

The content is there, assurance is sky high, and each that remains is for the prime spread betwixt the two sides to amusement connected the pitch. Logic says the Cannons should instrumentality to Jack Edwards Reserve with each three points. But arsenic we each know, logic often goes walkabout when shot is involved.

The toughest task of the circular belongs to reigning champions Heidelberg United.

The Bergers person enactment past month’s slump down them and look much prepared than ever to support their NPL crown. But the situation is thing but simple. Hume City stay 1 of the traditional heavyweights of the league. This year they’ve built a squad afloat of prime and hunger, traits that person been evident successful each crushed they’ve visited.

Last week’s distant nonaccomplishment to Melbourne City lit a occurrence under the Reds, who will beryllium hopeless to bounce backmost and re–enter the title speech with a effect against Heidelberg.

Bentleigh Greens and St Albans Saints conscionable this weekend with some sides hopeless for traction, but Bentleigh’s caller signifier gives them the edge.

Pancyprios travel successful with a mixed but improving run, taking points disconnected Preston and putting 4 past Green Gully successful caller weeks, adjacent if Oakleigh gave them a dense reminder of the league’s top-end standards. St Albans, meanwhile, person struggled for rhythm, carrying a patchy signifier enactment into the fixture.

It shapes arsenic a choky NPL Victoria clash, but if Bentleigh find the aforesaid tempo they’ve shown astatine Kingston Heath, they should person conscionable capable to get implicit the Saints.

Bentleigh Greens and St Albans Saints conscionable this weekend with some sides hopeless for traction, but Bentleigh’s caller signifier gives them the edge. Photo: Con Deves

VPL1

Round 11 successful VPL1 brings plentifulness of interest.

The header fixture, 1 that stirs memories of the fierce section shot past, is Melbourne Knights vs Port Melbourne Sharks. Two historical Victorian clubs conscionable again, but under very antithetic circumstances. Both sides are searching for their competitive… resurrection, and the clash carries tremendous history.

Port Melbourne’s sole nonsubjective is to debar decision and support the affirmative momentum they’ve built successful caller weeks.

League leaders Northcote City big Melbourne Victory VPL1. The Greek Australian nine wants thing little than a win, 1 that keeps them connected top and injects different dose of content and affirmative vigor into the full organisation.

Leonidas travel to North Geelong to look the Warriors. After three straight losses, the visitors want to slam the brakes connected their slide, drawback three points and look to the contiguous aboriginal with renewed optimism. It won’t beryllium easy. North Geelong are a tough, gritty outfit afloat of prime and bite.

A composed, passionate and selfless show will beryllium required if the Greek Australian broadside are to take the win.

VPL2

Malvern City, the surprise packet of the play and existent ladder leaders, big Springvale White Eagles this weekend. The extremity is clear: victory.

Another recently promoted side, Bayside Argonauts, besides play astatine home, welcoming Nunawading City successful a lucifer of immense ladder significance. A win for the Greek Australian nine would bolt them into the top positions and capable the campy with assurance up of a agelong and demanding season.

Two much Greek practice clubs besides play astatine home. Pythagoras Box Hill United look Moreland City, while Clarinda Kingston City big Altona City.

NPL – Fixtures

Friday, 1 May

Green Gully – Oakleigh Cannons 7.30pm

South Melbourne – Melbourne City NPL 7.30pm

Bentleigh Greens – St Albans Saints 8.30pm

Saturday, 2 May

Hume City – Heidelberg United 2pm

Avondale – George Cross 3pm

Dandenong Thunder – Preston Lions 3.15pm

Altona Magic – Dandenong City 6.15pm

Ladder

1 South Melbourne 10 21

2 Oakleigh Cannons 10 20

3 Heidelberg United 10 20

4 Hume City 10 17

5 Avondale 10 16

6 Bentleigh Greens 10 14

7 George Cross 10 14

8 Preston Lions 10 11

9 Melbourne City NPL 10 11

10 Dandenong Thunder 10 11

11 St Albans Saints 10 10

12 Dandenong City 10 8

13 Altona Magic 10 7

14 Green Gully 10 3

VPL1 – Fixtures

Friday, 1 May

Melbourne Knights – Port Melbourne Sharks 7.30pm

Northcote City – Melbourne Victory VPL1 8.30pm

Saturday, 2 May

Langwarrin – Western United VPL1

3pm North Sunshine – Bulleen Lions 3pm

Manningham United – Eltham Redbacks 3.15pm

North Geelong – Brunswick City 5pm

Melbourne Srbija – Juventus 6.15pm

Ladder

1 Northcote City 10 23

2 Brunswick Juventus 10 21

3 Eltham Redbacks 10 20

4 Melbourne Knights 9 19

5 Bulleen Lions 10 17

6 Manningham United 10 16

7 North Geelong Warriors 10 15

8 Melbourne Victory VPL1 10 14

9 Brunswick City 10 13

10 Western United VPL1 9 9

11 North Sunshine Eagles 10 9

12 Melbourne Srbija 10 9

13 Port Melbourne 10 8

14 Langwarrin 10 6

VPL2 – Fixtures

Friday, 1 May

Box Hill United – Moreland City 7.30pm

Kingston City – Altona City 19:45

Essendon Royals – Eastern Lions 8.30pm

Whittlesea United – Keilor Park 8.30pm

Saturday, 2 May

Werribee City – Goulburn Valley Suns 3pm

Bayside Argonauts – Nunawading City 3pm

Malvern City – Springvale White Eagles 5pm

Ladder

1. Malvern 10 25

2. Argonauts 10 20

3. Valley 10 19

4. Box Hill 10 17

5. Royals 10 15

6. Nunawading 10 14

7. Keilor Park 10 13

8. Lions 10 12

9. Werribee 10 12

10. Springvale 10 12

11. Kingston 9 10

12. Altona 10 9

13. Whittlesea 10 7

14. Moreland 9 6