Round Eight of the 2013 Victorian Premier League season shaped up to be the most exciting of the year to date, and boy did it deliver. The top of the table clash between Northcote City and Bentleigh Greens ended up all square after a heated contest, while Melbourne Knights and Dandenong Thunder played out a contender for game of the year.
Friday, 31 May 2013
Oakleigh Cannons 2 (Michael Boxall 60′, Reece Vittiglia 70′)
Hume City 4 (Turhan Sumbul 27′, 50′, 65′, Nick Hegarty 88′)
Venue: Jack Edwards Reserve
Hume City continued their surge up the VPL table with a third consecutive win, this time disposing of Oakleigh Cannons 4-2 at Jack Edwards Reserve. Turhan Sumbul had Hume City 2-0 up before Michael Boxall pulled it back to 2-1 on the hour mark. Sumbul completed his hat-trick five minutes later, before Reece Vittiglia pulled the deficit back to one goal once again. But Nick Hegarty’s goal in the 88th minute sealed the three points for Hume City, keeping them in fourth place on the table.
Friday, 31 May 2013
Port Melbourne Sharks 4 (Kamal Ibrahim 29′, 41′, Luke Bowen 73′, Graham Hockless 80′)
Southern Stars 2 (Travis Walker 6′, 51′)
Venue: SS Anderson Reserve
Despite taking the lead after just six minutes, Southern Stars suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Port Melbourne on Friday night. Travis Walker put the away side up early but two goals to Kamal Ibrahim had Port up at the break. Walker brought the sides level six minutes after the restart but goals to Luke Bowen and Graham Hockless capped of a big win for Port and kept Southern Stars winless in 2013.
Friday, 31 May 2013
Richmond SC 1 (Hamlet Armenian 39′)
Green Gully Cavaliers 2 (Jeffrey Fleming 12, Jason Hayne 43′)
Venue: Kevin Bartlett Reserve
Due to torrential conditions in Melbourne on Friday night, the game between Richmond SC and Green Gully Cavaliers had to be abandoned after the 72nd minute. When the referee’s report is submitted the result of the game will be determined. But when the play was brought to a halt, Green Gully were leading 2-1 thanks to goals from Jeffrey Fleming and Jason Hayne either side of Hamlet Armenian’s strike for Richmond.
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Pascoe Vale SC 0
South Melbourne 0
Venue: Hosken Reserve
South Melbourne were held to their first draw of the season at Hosken Reserve where they were kept scoreless by a ten-man Pascoe Vale. Luca Santilli was sent off for the hosts after just ten minutes in to the contest for a headbutt on Bradley Norton. South Melbourne will be ruing their missed chances as they failed to capitalise on the two sides above them.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Melbourne Knights 4 (Thomas Fraser 37′, Jacob Colosimo 51′, Hasan Daramy 83′, Adam Zilic 90+2′)
Dandenong Thunder 3 (Anthony Bran 5′, Faisal Safa 26′, Shpetim Mala 81′)
Venue: Knights Stadium
A day after celebrating their 60th year anniversary, the Melbourne Knights came out on top in one of the most thrilling VPL games in recent years. Dandenong Thunder seemed to be in control early in the contest with goals to Anthony Bran and Faisal Safa having them up 2-0 inside the half-hour mark. The Knights though kept pushing and found themselves level shortly after half-time with goals from Thomas Fraser and Jacob Colosimo. The home fans were silenced when Shpetim Mala put Thunder 3-2 ahead with ten minutes left but it was not long before they were out of their seats when substitute Hasan Daramy made it 3-3 shortly after. But the drama was not over yet with Knights captain Adam Zilic stepping up in injury-time to score the winner in a thriller.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Northcote City 1 (Dean Piemonte 2′)
Bentleigh Greens 1 (Max Etheridge 71′)
Venue: John Cain Memorial Park
In probably the most anticipated clash of 2013 so far, Northcote City and Bentleigh Greens could not be separated after 90 minutes. Fans were looking forward to seeing what the two best sides in the competition to date could come up with and some would say it was a rather tame affair compared to what it had the potential to be. Northcote City took the lead after just two minutes into the clash through Dean Piemonte and were unlucky not to add a second in the rest of the half. But as the game grew on Bentleigh played their way back in to the contest and were rewarded with a goal seventeen minutes from time thanks to substitute Max Etheridge. The winning streak is over for Northcote but they are still undefeated in 2013 and mantain a five point gap over second-placed Bentleigh.
Ladder:
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Round Nine Fixtures:
Bentleigh Greens vs Port Melbourne Sharks, Friday 14 June at Kingston Heath, 8.15pm
Dandenong Thunder vs Northcote City, Saturday 15 June at George Andrews Reserve, 3pm
Southern Stars vs Green Gully, Saturday 15 June at Kingston Heath, 6pm
Hume City vs Pascoe Vale, Sunday 16 June at Broadmeadows Valley Park, 3pm
Oakleigh Cannons vs Richmond SC, Sunday 16 June at Jack Edwards Reserve, 3pm
South Melbourne vs Melbourne Knights, Sunday 16 June at Lakeside Stadium, 3pm