Image: Murray United
Conference leaders Dandenong City and Northcote City stretched their respective leads at the top of their division ladders with important 3-1 victories on the second Super Saturday of the NPL2 season.
The game of the day pitted the undefeated Moreland Zebras against Hajduk at CB Smith Reserve with the hosts looking to keep pace with front-runners Northcote while also having a game in hand.
Midfielder Josh McMonagle-Ilhasz gave Fausto de Amicis’ men the perfect start as his 32nd minute strike had Juventus up at the break against a misfiring City yet to kick into full gear.
The visitors levelled the scoring just before the hour through former Melbourne City midfielder Nick Kalmar, who added a second to give Stuart Munro’s side the lead in the 82nd minute.
Mate Dugandzic sealed the victory three minutes later with his fourth goal in eight league games as City’s A-League fire-power propelled them to a four-point lead at the top of the east standings.
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Second-placed Melbourne City Youth suffered their first defeat in five matches at Epping Stadium as Whittlesea recovered from last week’s defeat to Northcote to record a one-sided 3-0 triumph.
Danny Charalambous opened the scoring for the home side in the 17th minute after being assisted by Thomas Barforosh, who was on hand to also set up Mario Piraino’s second half-strike.
The 19 year-old added a third late on in an impressive performance against his former employers, with the Ranges also claiming hold to the league’s sturdiest defence having conceded just five goals all year.
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Pace-setters Northcote now have a six point lead at the top of the western conference as captain Josh Knight inspired their 3-1 win over the Eastern Lions at John Cain Memorial Reserve.
The Welshman opened the scoring from the spot in the fourth minute only for Lions defender Thomas Falconer to level matters with his fourth penalty of the campaign in the eighth minute.
Knight restored City’s advantage three minutes into the second half before claiming the match ball in the 76th minute to join compatriot Adam Wright at the top of the divisional goalscoring charts.
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The Dandenong Thunder failed to take full advantage of Eastern’s slip-up by blowing a two goal lead in the second half to draw 3-3 against Melbourne Victory Youth at George Andrews Reserve.
The hosts broke the deadlock via a Brandon Barnes penalty in the 26th minute only to see 17-year-old Victory forward Aleks Stanisavljevic level the scoring 10 minutes later with his first senior goal.
Englishman Barnes added a quick-fire double in the second half to complete his hat-trick to extend his lead at the top of the Golden Boot race, having netted nine goals in eight league games.
Former Joey Pierce Waring halved the deficit just after the hour before 18-year-old midfielder Cameron McGilp equalised in the 71st minute to ensure a share of the spoils, with the teenager impressing on his return to the youth team following his A-League debut last week.
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Moreland City made it two comprehensive wins in the space of seven days with a 5-0 mauling over the besieged Box Hill, the result sure to heap more pressure on under-fire United boss Greg Kassidas with the heavy loss Pythagoras’ fourth defeat on the bounce.
South Sudan international Apai Ukuno opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his fourth of the season before strike partner Trent Rixon grabbed his fifth of the term in the 37th minute.
Former Manchester United Youth graduate Keil O’Brien added a third before the half-time break, with the 26 year-old Englishman adding another one just before the hour mark.
Winger Osman Kose added a fifth in stoppage time to complete the rout as Adrian Mather’s side moved to outright second on the western conference standings.
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Brunswick City kept pace in the battle for second place by moving to within a point of Moreland City in second with a 1-0 triumph away to the struggling Springvale White Eagles.
Attacking midfielder Jose Portillo grabbed the game’s only goal in the 36th minute via a powerful low shot past White Eagles shot-stopper Lajos Oliveira as the Spartans secured a vital three points.
The defeat is Springvale’s fourth consecutive league loss – all four games being played at White Eagles Stadium, as Vlado Tortevski’s side dropped to eighth having begun March in first position.
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Over at Chaplin Reserve, the points were shared between Sunshine George Cross and the Goulburn Valley Suns who played out an entertaining 1-1 draw, both sides now sitting in mid-table.
The Shepparton-based outfit took the lead four minutes in through Scot Shaun Kane, only for a Tedros Yabio cross to be met by Tunisian-Spanish forward Souheil Azagane at the back post for the leveller.
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A Mitch Cooper masterclass helped Nunawading City dismantle a hapless Bendigo City at Mahoneys Reserve, with the regional battlers shipping a league high 28 goals in eight league games.
Number nine Ivan Skorich continued his good goalscoring record against Bendigo by giving his side the lead on the half hour before Cooper added a second on the stroke of half time.
The former Newcastle Jets midfielder scored another in the 65th minute before grabbing goal number three and four in stoppage time as Nunawading secured just their third league win of the NPL era.
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Up in Myrtleford, Murray United continued their good form of late via a 2-0 triumph over Werribee City, with Archie Thompson scoring his first goal for his current employers at the fourth time of asking.
Teenage sensation Lewis Greenwood backed up his strike against Thunder last week with another goal before half-time to give James Coutts’ side the ascendancy going into the break.
The Melbourne Victory legend sealed the victory in the 89th minute and celebrated his debut strike by hugging his mum in the crowd as Murray moved up to sixth in the conference standings.
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The Bees loss allowed Ballarat City to move into eighth in the West with their first win since Round 2 following a 3-0 win over Richmond at Morshead Park on Saturday evening.
Three goals in nine first-half minutes did the damage as a Dominic Swinton strike was followed up by a double from star man Michael Trigger in what was a much needed victory for Danny Gnjidic’s side as Richmond’s struggles persist.