VPL Round Eleven preview

This is the final round before the second half of the season begins, and with big gaps starting to appear at both ends of the table it’s time for all clubs to stand up if they want to assure they meet their goals.

Dandenong Thunder are still flying high and will be hard to catch in the race for the Premier Plate though Heidelberg will need a near-miracle to survive their horror season so far. On opposite ends of the scale Bentleigh Greens have surpassed all expectations while South Melbourne are in a bad state with all pre-season predictions from Lakeside blown out of the water.

No matter which club you support, or if you are simply interested in the league as a whole – each team has something to play for with major repercussions for every point won and lost. Be sure to get to your local ground, or organise a road trip for this weekend as each match looks to be a cracker.

Oakleigh Cannons v Bentleigh Greens
Fri 8:30pm, Jack Edwards Reserve
4th v 2nd
Last Round:
Northcote City 3-2 Oakleigh Cannons
Bentleigh Greens 1-0 South Melbourne

VPL History:
Oakleigh Cannons win: 6
Bentleigh Greens win: 2
Draw: 2

Form:
Oakleigh Cannons: WLWDL
Bentleigh Greens: LLWDW

It has been a rough week down at Oakleigh, with Head Coach Huss Skenderovic being replaced by Old Boys Peter Zois and Bill Theodoropoulos. The move has come as a shock to VPL supporters as the Cannons currently sit in fourth place, only two points off second.

Zois was captain of the side last year as they finished runners-up in the League and Grand Final so will have an in-depth knowledge of the squad and the competition, but what sort of effect such a sudden change will have on a team which was doing well is uncertain.

Bentleigh on the other hand have been solid and somewhat spectacular in their run to second place. After consecutive losses for the first time this season, they answered the critics going undefeated in their past three games; including a late winner last week against South Melbourne.

The Cannons have the wood on Bentleigh historically, but with Oakleigh’s off-field drama and the Greens’ on-field momentum, the boys from Kingston Heath will be looking to extend the gap between themselves and fourth place. 

Richmond v Dandenong Thunder
Fri :30pm, Kevin Bartlett Reserve
10th v 1st

Last Round:
Melbourne Knights 1-0 Richmond
Dandenong Thunder 3-0 Green Gully Cavaliers

VPL History:
Richmond win: 3
Dandenong Thunder win: 3
Draw: 0

Form:
Richmond: LDDLL
Dandenong Thunder: WWDDW

Still undefeated and back in the winner’s circle, Dandenong will be rubbing their hands in anticipation as they prepare to take on a Richmond outfit which is sliding down the ladder at an alarming rate. After a lacklustre two rounds for Thunder, they stormed back into form with a 3-0 smashing of Green Gully, with the reigning Champions having no answer for Dandy’s quality all over the pitch.

Richmond on the other hand have not tasted victory for eight weeks, and with performances not being terribly noteworthy, it could be a long 90 minutes for the 2010 Premiers.

Green Gully Cavaliers v Northcote City
Sat 3pm, Green Gully Reserve
6th v 3rd

Last Round:
Dandenong Thunder 3-0 Green Gully Cavaliers
Northcote City 3-2 Oakleigh Cannons

VPL History:
Green Gully Cavaliers win: 2
Northcote City win: 1
Draw: 1

Form:
Green Gully Cavaliers: WWLLL
Northcote City: LWWWW

Two teams who are right in the battle for finals positions come head to head here in what will be an intriguing contest.

Northcote, who are on a four match winning streak, will be feeling confident after knocking off the dangerous Oakleigh Cannons last week thanks to a last minute penalty that saw them claim the three points and third place on the table. The only issue could be that their three goals all came off set-pieces with nothing from open play.

The Cavaliers meanwhile will be hoping to avoid a fourth straight loss for the first time in over a decade, as they have not had such a bad run since falling to Whittlesea Stallions, Heidelberg United, Altona Magic and Port Melbourne in May of 2002.

Green Gully will be fired up as they will not want to suffer a fourth straight defeat, especially in front of their home crowd. Northcote will be a tough ask with their recent form, but as many teams have discovered in the past two years; Green Gully are most dangerous when their backs are to the wall.

If you can't get to the game be sure to catch all of the action on VPL Live TV, with the entire match being streamed live via our Youtube channel.

Southern Stars v Melbourne Knights
Sat 7pm, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
8th v 7th 

Last Round:
Hume City 1-1 Southern Stars
Melbourne Knights 1-0 Richmond

VPL History:
Southern Stars win: n/a
Melbourne Knights win: n/a
Draw: n/a

Form:
Southern Stars: LLDWD
Melbourne Knights: LWLWW

Both sides are in the bottom half of the table but will be reasonably satisfied with their they currently sit. Southern Stars, favourites to be forced into relegation are getting decent results, and while they are not safe yet, they are looking good and if they can keep up their form in the second half of the season they should avoid the drop.

Melbourne Knights are going through a renaissance of sorts, as three wins from four matches under their new coach Andrew Marth has seen them go from relegation fodder to potential finals candidates. The real test will be when the gloss of the honeymoon period fades away and how the team reacts to that. A match against a similarly placed Southern Stars provides a perfect test for the former NSL team’s hopes this season.

Moreland Zebras v Hume City
Sun 3pm, Epping Soccer Stadium
11th v 5th 

Last Round:
Heidelberg United 0-4 Moreland Zebras
Hume City 1-1 Southern Stars 

VPL History:
Moreland Zebras win: 0
Hume City win: 2
Draw: 0

Form:
Moreland Zebras: WDLLW
Hume City: LWWWD

After a much needed win against fellow cellar-dwellers Heidelberg, Moreland will hope they can use the 4-0 victory to springboard a second half of the season comeback to ensure survival. Tipped at the start of the year to survive the cut, a change of coach and some inconsistent performances have seen them languish at the foot of the table.

Hume didn’t start the season in the best of form, but have sprung to life in the past four weeks with three wins and one draw. Without any stand-out players, the team works as a unit and will seek to continue the trend this weekend to boost them further into a play-off position.

South Melbourne v Heidelberg United
Sun 5pm, Lakeside Stadium
9th v 12th 

Last Round:
Bentleigh Greens 1-0 South Melbourne
Heidelberg United 0-4 Moreland Zebras

VPL History:
South Melbourne win: 3
Heidelberg United win: 6
Draw: 6

Form:
South Melbourne: WLDLL
Heidelberg United: WLLDL

This is the big one, the classic derby. History dictates that this is the most built-up derby in Victorian football with a rivalry that goes back over half a century, stretching across the old State League, the National Soccer League, the League Cup and of course, the Victorian Premier League.

Two clubs steeped in history who have both gone through periods of success are not used to being so low down the ladder, and certainly not in recent memory has a derby between these two clubs been so important in terms of the league ramifications a loss would cause either side.

Relegation is a serious threat to Heidelberg, and only a win here would give them any hope of retain VPL status next season. While relegation is not as a pressing issue for South, they only sit four points in the clear and any slip up could give the fans reason to fear the worst.

For a club that had so many expectations before the season, this is not where they want to be and nothing less than a win will be acceptable for South supporters, players and coaches alike.

Goals
8 – Nate Foster, Dandenong Thunder
7 – Luke Sherbon, Dandenong Thunder
6 – James Kalifatidis, Northcote City
5 – Jason Hayne, Green Gully Cavaliers
4 – Mathew Sanders, Green Gully Cavaliers
4 – Scott Bullock, Bentleigh Greens
4 – Ricky Diaco, Oakleigh Cannons
4 – Liam Kearney, Dandenong Thunder

Yellow Cards
5 – Steven Topalovic, Richmond
4 – Daniel Jones, Green Gully Cavaliers
4 – Frankie Lagana, Oakleigh Cannons
4 – Andrew Viola, Richmond
4 – Brian Bran, Dandenong Thunder
4 – Adam Zilic, Melbourne Knights
4 – Jonathan Voulgaris, Northcote City
4 – Daniel Visevic, Richmond

Red Cards
3 – Richmond (Liam Cannell, Michael Ferrante, Mate Medjedovic)
3 – Southern Stars (Lean Williams, Ridvan Saglam, Halil Gur)
2 – Green Gully Cavaliers (Patricio Vargas, Mile Medjedovic)
1 – Heidelberg United (George Papadopoulos)