Round Nine of the NPL in Victoria occurred over the weekend with another exciting round of football in the books.
Which sides are beginning to emerge as genuine contenders, and which sides are beginning to fall away from the pack?
Find out below!
Melbourne Knights 3-0 Eastern Lions
Melbourne Knights moved up into the top six after a three-goal victory over the Eastern Lions at Knights Stadium.
The Knights left it late to secure victory as they scored three goals inside the final 10 minutes. Lionel Masudi broke the deadlock, Mohammad Sumaoro and Gian Albano scored the next two goals to seal the game.
Bentleigh Greens 2-0 Dandenong Thunder
Bentleigh kept their unbeaten run intact in Round Nine as they recorded their fifth win in a row on over the Dandenong Thunder.
After a scoreless opening half, Yagoub Mustafa broke the deadlock late in the 85th before Jack Painter-Andrews struck in the 88th minute to seal the game.
St Albans 1-1 Green Gully
St Albans and Green Gully shared points in a fiery contest. Josh Hope got Gully off to an ideal start as he broke the deadlock in the fourth minute to give the away side an early lead. But the Saints equalised minutes before half time through Zander Guy.
With scores tied at half time neither side found the go-ahead goal in the second half.
Avondale 3-0 Altona Magic
Coming off back-to-back losses, Avondale got back to winning ways in Round Nine with a comprehensive victory at home over Altona.
The Avengers broke the deadlock in the 35th minute through Blake Carpenter before Liam Boland doubled their advantage from the penalty spot six minutes later. Ahead by two goals at the main break, the home side added a third in the 84th minute through Manyluak Aguek.
Dandenong City 1-1 Port Melbourne Sharks
Dandenong City held the in-form Port Melbourne to a draw in Round Nine. Francesco Stella netted his first goal of the season to put the Sharks ahead in the 20th minute, though the away side wouldn’t hold onto their lead for long.
Nicholas Kalmar in the 23rd minute pegged a goal back and put City back into the contest and helped his side secure a point.
Heidelberg United 3-1 Hume City
Heidelberg United recorded their third win of the season as they took out bottom-placed Hume City.
United’s Kane Sheppard scored a hat-trick and was the star of the show, as he completed the feat inside the opening 39 minutes of the game. Alex Walter scored the first goal of the second half for Hume as they fell by two goals.
Oakleigh Cannons 2-1 South Melbourne
Oakleigh ended South Melbourne’s undefeated run in the final game of round. The Cannons broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, Daniel Clark the scorer. South would the level through Marcus Schroen 14th minute.
Though the Cannons found the lead again, Joseph Knowles scored in the 41st minute which ultimately was the winning goal of the game.
Image Source: Mark Avelino
