Check out all the NPL and VPL highlights from the weekend

Heidelberg United is closer to the NPL premiership but not before a world-class save from Yaren Sozer or was it? Plus, home finals locked in and South Melbourne on the charge.

Asahi Yokokawa in action for Heidelberg United.

We’re inside the final month of the NPL and VPL seasons.

The premiership and relegation races remain open – for now – while there’s also a fierce battle for top-six spots and finals chances.

The weekend saw another host of scintillating performances, wonderful goals and stunning saves.

Check out all the highlights below.

HEIDELBERG’S TITLE TO LOSE

Heidelberg United is so close to the NPL Victoria premiership, it can taste it. The Warriors moved five points clear at the top of the table with an impressive 3-0 win over Green Gully at Gully Reserve on Friday combined with Avondale’s 1-1 draw with Dandenong City. The club is chasing its first premiership since 2019 when it also pipped the Avengers. The league-leaders were forced to work for the win and very nearly fell behind but for a world-class save by Yaren Sozer. The A-League championship winner showed all his talent to keep out Aamir Abdullah from point-blank range just before the hour mark. Alexander then found the breakthrough in the 71st minute thanks to captain and central defender Ben Collins. The floodgates then opened as Asahi Yokokawa scored in the 81st and Jamal Ali in the 88th. Heidelberg faces a rejuvenated South Melbourne, title rival Avondale, reigning champion Oakleigh Cannons and Port Melbourne in a testing run home.

CITY HOLDS AVENGERS

There’s still time but Avondale’s 1-1 draw with Dandenong City at Avengers Park on Saturday put a major dent in the club’s NPL premiership aspirations. It continues a frustrating month for the Avengers, which has been held to draws by St Albans, Preston, Dandenong Thunder and now City. It’s seen the club fall five points behind Heidelberg United in the title race. Yusuf Ahmed opened the scoring in the 61st minute and it looked like the home team would secure a valuable three points. However, Valli Cesnik pounced in the 88th minute to send Hadjuk home with a point. Avondale travels to Altona Magic on Saturday before a potentially premiership deciding clash with Heidelberg at home and South Melbourne and Green Gully to finish.

THUNDER, CANNONS LOCK IN HOME FINALS

Dandenong Thunder’s 2-0 triumph over Port Melbourne and Oakleigh Cannons’ 4-0 drubbing of Hume City has all but confirmed home elimination finals for the pair. Avondale is five points ahead in second and will be hard to catch for a first-week bye but the Thunder is nine points clear of fifth-placed Preston, while Oakleigh is seven points ahead of the Lions with four games remaining. Dandenong was too good for the Sharks at Murphy Reserve. Hassan Jalloh continued his outstanding season with his 11th goal of the campaign – fourth most in the competition – in the 59th minute. Medin Mehmeti then sealed the points eight minutes later. Meanwhile at Jack Edwards Reserve, the Cannons showed off its range of weapons. Defender Connor Hampson opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Young gun Adem Duratovic then doubled the lead in the 25th. Defender Ajak Deu scored for the first time in 14 weeks on the hour mark and mid-season recruit Tom Alisandratos put a cherry on top in the 74th minute.

FRANCIS OPENS ACCOUNT

It’s taken him a while to find his feet but boom mid-season recruit Luke Francis is on the board at Preston Lions. The Sheffield Wednesday junior arrived last month from NPL Queensland outfit Wynnum Wolves, where he won a Golden Boot. Not content with one, Francis scored a brace in the 3-0 win over Melbourne Knights at BT Connor Reserve, twice punishing Knights defensive turnovers. Aaron Anderson also opened his season account with the third goal of the night, heading home from a Luc Jeggo corner. It’s a critical win for Preston, cementing fifth, moving five points clear of seventh-placed Dandenong City.

LOOK OUT FOR SOUTH

After being in relegation danger mid-season, South Melbourne is within range of finals. And, if they made it, Hellas is one club you would not want to face. A strong 2-0 win over Altona Magic at Lakeside Stadium continued the club’s resurgence to move within five points of fifth-placed Hume City. It also won through to the Dockerty Cup final last week, taking down Avondale 3-1. Nahuel Bonada opened the scoring in just the eighth minute, poking home after a goalmouth scramble. Hellas was reduced to 10 men just before the half-hour mark as skipper Marco Jankovic was shown a straight red card after catching Chris Theodorakopoulos with his follow through clearing the ball. However, it mattered little. Jack Pope sealed the deal with a deflected long-range shot just four minutes after the second-half restart. South will face a giant task on Saturday, taking on ladder-leader Heidelberg United, in an early Dockerty Cup final preview.

GEORGIES ON FIRE

The VPL1 premiership and automatic promotion could come down to goal difference and Caroline Springs George Cross got a big boost on Saturday. The Georgies smashed relegation battler Moreland City 6-2 at City Vista. The club now has the second best goal difference in the competition, behind only ladder-leader Melbourne City. Luke Lofts opened the scoring but Moreland was level before the half. However, it was all Caroline Springs from there. Josh Whiteley bagged a brace, while Lochie Reus, Erdeniz Yildiz and Tyler James also found the back of the net. The result sees the Georgies three points behind leaders City - who they face this weekend in a potentially title-deciding bout - and one point behind Bentleigh Greens - but with a better goal difference - for automatic promotion.

BRUNSWICK BOUNCES BACK

After a disappointing loss a fortnight ago, Brunswick City responded immediately with a thumping 4-1 win over Manningham United. Kobe Timms was the Spartans’ hero, bagging a brace at Dunstan Reserve. Will Tsiamis and Dylan Allshorn then sealed the deal late on with 85th and 90th minute strikes. George Matta scored Manningham’s only goal in the 48th. The result keep City in front in the fierce battle for a top-six finish. It sits fifth, two points clear of Bulleen Lions in seventh. In contrast, the Blues are still in relegation danger in 11th, only four points clear of the bottom three.

OH, WHAT A FINISH

FC Melbourne is unbeaten in its past five matches and has won four of them, it’s seen the club - in its first season back in VPL1 - launch into playoff contention. A heart-stopping 2-1 win over North Sunshine Eagles at Kevin Bartlett Reserve was the latest triumph. This one literally went down to the wire. Marko Basic opened the scoring in the 20th minute and when Birhan Elibol was shown a second yellow - then the red - in the 83rd minute it looked like Srbija was heading for a simple win. Cue mayhem. With a stunning snap shot, Kaan Elibol produced an equaliser out of nothing in the 95th minute. Srbija, thinking they’d let a win slip charged again, and the Eagles, thinking they’d earned a point, relaxed. The ball was launched into the box and a lucky deflection sat up perfectly for Basic to volley home in the 97th minute and send the home team fans into raptures. The win sees Srbija sitting eighth, only three points behind North Sunshine in sixth. However, on a sour note, Srbija will be without star striker Luka Ninkovic after he suffered a season-ending injury in the final minutes.

CITY IN BOX SEAT

Can Melbourne City join (or replace) Melbourne Victory in the state’s top-flight? The A-League academy team is certainly on the right track it just depends whether it will be as premiers or through promotion. A strong 3-0 win over Langwarrin - combined with Bentleigh Green’s nil-all draw with strugglers Kingston City - sees City move two points clear - with a far superior goal difference - at the top of the table with four games remaining. It is three points ahead of Caroline Springs George Cross in third. Beckham Baker bagged a quick-fire brace in the comfortable win at Lawton Park. Goals in the 14th and 19th minute were followed by Kavian Rahmani’s sealer just before half-time.

COACHING CHANGE CAN’T HELP NORTHCOTE

When Northcote City decided to part ways with co-coaches Zeljko Kuzman and Steve Bebic, it would have hoped for a response on the pitch. However, it hasn’t materialised. A 3-1 loss to Melbourne City was followed by a 2-1 loss to Bulleen Lions on Saturday. Rob Harding continued his remarkable goal-scoring form, scoring his third goal in his third game since arriving from South Melbourne. However, Hercules couldn’t hold the lead. Mohammad Rahimi equalised in the 57th minute and Jamie Mantelos scored the winner in the 73rd. It was a critical win for Bulleen in the playoff race. The Lions sit seventh, outside the top-six on goal difference behind North Sunshine. Northcote, meanwhile, has dropped to ninth and is five points off sixth.

RELEGATION RACE GETS WILD

A staggering seven teams are still in relegation danger in VPL2. In a wild battle for survival, the bottom five teams are separated by just one point, the bottom six by two points and even Box Hill in eighth is only three points out of the bottom three. As it stands, Werribee City is last on goal difference behind Boroondara-Carey - both on 22 points. Whittlesea United in in the bottom three on goal difference, behind Nunawading City and Pascoe Vale - all on 23 points. Geelong is ninth on 24 points and then Box Hill. Altona City is seventh - and only a point away from a playoffs spot - but is still technically in danger, eight points clear. Pascoe Vale, for so long facing the drop to State League, jumped out of the bottom three on Friday night with a 2-0 win over Altona, it’s fourth win in the past five matches. It faces a tough ask as it hosts Eltham Redbacks this Friday. Boroondara-Carey claimed a 2-1 over Springvale White Eagles last week and Whittlesea United upset Brusnwick Juventus 2-1 at CB Smith Reserve. Geelong snatched a point in a 3-3 draw with GV Suns to keep its nose in front but it was a tough weekend for Werribee as it suffered a 4-1 loss to ladder-leader North Geelong to fall to the bottom of the ladder. Geelong hosts Whittlesea United in a six-point clash, while Boroondara hosts Brunswick Juventus and Nunawading travels to North Geelong. Werribee hosts Essendon Royals with its season on the line.

WARRIORS ONE STEP CLOSER

North Geelong can taste premiership glory. The Warriors are five points clear on the top of the VPL2 ladder with four games remaining after a strong 4-1 win over relegation-threatened Werribee City at Elcho Park. The club will fancy its chances of wrapping up the title in the coming weeks too with games against struggling Nunawading City and Pascoe Vale then Springvale White Eagles and Brunswick Juventus - both at home - to finish. Ionut-Casian Anghel got North Geelong started with the opening goal seconds before half-time. Sergio Escudero doubled the lead on the hour mark and Lochie McGrath made it three after 70 minutes. Brad Murray got one back for Werribee 10 minutes later but Sonny Brimmer scored his 12th goal of the campaign, joining Angus Chapman at the top of the competition goalscoring charts, to put a bow on it. The Warriors are five points clear of Eltham Redbacks in the title race with Brunswick Juventus a further three points behind.

REDBACKS KEEP PRESSURE ON

After falling to North Geelong in a top-of-the-table clash last week, Eltham Redbacks bounced back immediately with an important 2-1 win over Nunawading City at Mahoneys Reserve to keep the pressure on the Warriors. Temor Foryabee’s second goal of the season opened the scoring for the visitors in just the fifth minute of the match. Nunawading were level soon after the half-time break thanks to Stuart Edgar. However, the Redbacks claimed all three points thanks to Josh Dennett’s 65th minute strike. The result sees Eltham remain five points behind North Geelong in the premiership race and move three points clear of Brunswick Juventus in the battle for automatic promotion.

LIA BREAKS DUCK

Vince Lia has had an impressive career. More than 200 A-League appearances, represented Australia at various youth levels and captained the under-20’s at the World Youth Championships. One thing he hadn’t done was score a goal for Essendon Royals this season ... until Saturday. The breakthrough goal came in the Royals’ 4-0 thumping of Box Hill United at Wembley Park. It ended a concerning seven-game winless run that had threatened to ruin the club’s playoff ambitions. Takumi Niwa got the party started in the 20th minute before Lia doubled the lead. A Lucas Green own goal made it three just before half-time. Julian Guzzardi put the cherry on top in the 76th minute. The result sees Essendon sit fifth, three points clear of Altona City in seventh.

Originally published as Check out all the NPL and VPL highlights from the weekend