Check out all the highlights from the weekend’s NPL and VPL action

Former Socceroo Ivan Franjic adds coach to his Melbourne Knights duties, a wonder goal ends Doveton’s drought and Lloyd Isgrove proves he’s a freak again.

Ivan Franjic in action for Melbourne Knights.

It’s been another big week in the NPL and VPL.

A former Socceroo takes the coaching reins at Melbourne Knights and gets a first-start win.

Lloyd Isgrove continues to showcase his freakish goalscoring ability.

Doveton earns its first win of the season thanks to a wonder goal from a young gun, while a 17-year-old inspires Green Gully.

Check out all the weekend’s highlights here.

KNIGHTS BOUNCE BACK

A week after parting ways with coach Ben Surey, Melbourne Knights is back on the winners list. A 3-0 win over Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve broke the club’s three-game losing run. Former Socceroo and club technical director Ivan Franjic took the coaching reins, combining with his playing and captaincy duties. Ciaran Bramwell scored a brace in the win, taking him to six for the season, while Saif Sakhi also found the back of the net. Bramwell opened the scoring in the sixth minute, pouncing on a Thunder error to smash in a long-range strike. The striker made it two in the 27th minute, tapping in Franjic’s cross. Sakhi sealed the three points in the 71st minute, hitting a first-time shot from a Tommy Semmy layoff.

66:30: GOAL! Hume City score to make it AMSC 0 : HCFC 2.

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— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) May 3, 2024

GOAL OF THE WEEK

If you didn’t know already, Lloyd Isgrove is a freak. The Welsh international already has a Goal of the Year contender in the books and produced a second on Friday night with a stunning long-range effort against Altona Magic. Isgrove pounces on a loose clearance in midfield, takes a touch off the chest before unleashing a thunderous volley into the top right-hand corner from 35m out. Spectacular. Shoutout to Ciaran Bramwell’s long-range effort for Melbourne Knights on the same night, a solid effort to take second place.

SPEAKING OF HUME’S DYNAMIC DUO

Are Lloyd Isgrove and Aamir Abdullah the best one-two punch in the NPL? There’s a fair argument for them. The pair scored their eighth goals of the season on Friday night – joint second most in the competition – in a 2-0 win over Altona Magic at Broadmeadows Stadium. The combined 16 goals is the second most of any duo, behind South Melbourne’s Harrison Sawyer and Nahuel Bonada (12 and six) and ahead of Heidelberg’s Kaine Sheppard and Josh Pin (seven each). Hume City is now seven games unbeaten and sitting fourth on the ladder, level on points with Heidelberg and Avondale but behind on goal difference.

24:47: GOAL! Green Gully score to make it GGSC 1 : SASC 0.

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— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) May 4, 2024

THE 17-YEAR-OLD INSPIRING GULLY

Remember the name Shifa Ahmed. The Green Gully young gun scored his maiden NPL Victoria goal in the Cavaliers’ 4-0 thumping of St Albans on Saturday. The 17-year-old, who has 10 goals in 11 under-23 matches this season, opened the scoring at Green Gully Reserve with a superb goal. Taking a pass down the right, he holds off two defenders before rounding the goalkeeper and calmly slotting home. Mo Adam finished the match with a brace and Jalil Regague also scored as Gully made it two wins in a row. The result sees the Cavaliers sit ninth and back in the top-six race, now seven points behind Port Melbourne.

ONE OF AVONDALE’S GREAT WINS

Avondale’s stunning 3-1 win over South Melbourne is being hailed as one of the club’s greatest victories. The Avengers handed Hellas their first loss of the NPL Victoria season at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday to launch back into the premiership race. George Ott scored a brace, while Yusuf Ahmed converted a penalty to earn the club’s first win at Lakeside since 2019. The win is an immediate response to a shock 1-0 defeat to Green Gully last week and sees Avondale move within three points of South at the top of the table. Adding to the win, Avondale was missing a host of key players, including Kristian Trajceski, Stefan Zinni, Matthew Reid, Kalilou Kamara, Blake Carpenter and Dillon Jakupi.

SHARKS SNEAKING UP

Port Melbourne is quietly going about it’s business and that business is quietly impressive. A 3-1 win over Dandenong City on Saturday was the Sharks’ third win in four matches with only a 3-2 loss to South Melbourne in between. While there’s still a long way to go, the victory at Murphy Reserve looks critical as it moves Port five points clear of City in the race for the top-six. The Sharks are just five points out of second place too and take on Avondale this weekend. Jackson Courtney-Perkins scored a brace and Emmanuel Peters also hit the scoreboard to secure the win. Tim Atherinos scored a late consolation for City.

HIGH FIVE FOR HEIDELBERG

Heidelberg has scored 27 goals in 12 matches this season. The Warriors own the best goal difference in the league and have the second most goals in the competition. Such has been the improvement in United’s attack, the club has almost reached last year’s total of 31 in 14 games less. Kaine Sheppard scored a brace in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Manningham United, taking his season tally to seven. Josh Pin also has seven goals, third most in the league. Nick Olsen and Cherif Aidara also hit the scoreboard at Olympic Village. Now the only undefeated club in the competition, Heidelberg sit second on the NPL ladder, just three points behind South Melbourne.

COMEBACK CANNONS

For what seems like the umpteenth time this season, Moreland City started strongly but ultimately faded to defeat on Monday night. City took a shock lead in the sixth minute against Oakleigh at Jack Edwards Reserve thanks to Fletcher Fulton. However, just seconds before half-time, the Cannons were level as Alex Salmon somehow squeezed a shot through traffic and past Alex Kondoleon. The Cannons were in front just five minutes into the second half as Jacob Eliopoulos scored his second goal in two matches, heading home from a corner. Salmon then wrapped up the three points and his brace in the 72nd minute, finishing off a sweeping counter-attack.

GEORGIES BACK ON WINNERS’ LIST

After three straight defeats, Caroline Springs secured a much-needed win on Saturday, a 2-1 victory over North Geelong. The Warriors were looking to make it two wins on the trot but were quickly on the back foot at City Vista. Russell Currie scored both goals in the win, taking him to seven on the season – second most in the competition – while Sergio Escudero was North’s sole goalscorer. The Georgies are now 12th in their return to VPL1.

BEES EARN POINT FOR NEW COACH

Newly appointed Werribee City coach Craig Moore wants to build the club into a regional power. Just hours after being sacked as assistant coach by Melbourne Knights, Moore was snapped up by the Bees who coincidently parted ways with Domenic Barba. He returns to Galvin Park after five years away having previously served as assistant under Sergio Sabbadini. Moore’s first game in charge on Saturday night ended in a two-all draw with VPL1 premiership aspirant Bentleigh Greens. The Bees took a 38th minute lead through Mackenzie Lemon before the Greens equalised seconds before half-time thanks to a 48th minute penalty, converted by Scott Hilliar. The visitors took the lead early in the second half through Christian Cavallo but Werribee would not be denied as Jack Hindle levelled the scores and secured a much-needed point.

GOALKEEPING CLINIC

While Paul Izzo was almost single-handedly winning Melbourne Victory its elimination final on Sunday, Bulleen Lions’ James Siekris and Western United’s Michael Vonja were putting on a show of their own. The pair made a string of impressive saves in the clash at the Veneto Club. However, while Siekris impressed he couldn’t stop his Lions from a 3-0 defeat as Vonja kept a clean sheet at the other end. After a 7-0 win the previous week, the win makes it 10-0 in the past fortnight for Western and sees it jump to fifth on the ladder ahead of a blockbuster clash against undefeated ladder-leader Melbourne Victory. Dylan Leonard, Jake Najdovski and Max Bisetto were the goalscorers.

LIONS CLAIM DERBY BRAGGING RIGHTS

Across a range of sports, the Brunswick-Preston rivalry is as fierce as any in Melbourne. On Monday night, it was Preston Lions claiming bragging rights over Brunswick City at Dunstan Reserve. Preston opened the scoring as Luc Jeggo sent a defender sliding into the sunset before a clinical strike in the 11th minute. Brunswick was level on the half-hour mark as gun import Dylan Allshorn showed off his quick feet to earn a penalty, which he duly converted. It was his league-leading eighth goal of the season. However, the game turned for the Spartans on the stroke of half-time as Gerrie Sylaidos was shown a straight red card. After a conversation with his fourth official, referee Vlatko Trajcheski gave him his marching orders. The Lions took advantage early in the second half as Wes Jobello weaved his way through the defence before a placed shot into the far corner.

ZEBRAS PROVING TITLE CREDENTIALS

In a clash of VPL2 premiership rivals it was Brunswick Juventus that claimed what could be a critical victory. The Zebras knocked off Essendon Royals 2-0 at CB Smith Reserve on Friday night to move joint top of the ladder with Altona City. Goals to Nick Symeoy and Jonathan Bounas got the job done for Juventus, which bounced back from a loss to North Sunshine the previous week. The result also ends the Royals’ seven-game undefeated start to the season. It’s not all doom and gloom with Essendon only three points off the leaders in fifth.

DOVES ON THE BOARD

How’s this goal to secure your club’s first win of the season? Youngster Lavdim Memedovski was only on the ground for minutes as a second-half substitute before scoring a wonder goal to clinch a 2-1 victory for Doveton over Nunawading City. Taking free-kick duties, Memedovski curled the dead ball perfectly into the far corner to spark wild celebrations at Waratah Reserve. The Doves where the final club in the NPL/VPL structure yet to earn at least a point this season. Nunawading had taken the lead in the first half through an own goal but Doveton was not to be denied. Jason Quinlan equalised before Memedovski’s heroics sealed three points. The win sees the Doves move off the bottom of the VPL2 ladder.

Sadly, we can’t embed the video of the goal due to the club’s Facebook settings.

PACCO BOUNCES BACK

After four losses on the bounce, Pascoe Vale returned to the winners’ list on Friday with a 3-0 win over Boroondara-Carey at Wilcox Field. Not only did it end the club’s winless run, it ended its goal drought as well. Tom Alisandratos, Joe Piggott and Aden Gardner all hit the scoreboard in the resounding win. However, it was soured by a red card to Hayden Tennant after he picked up two yellows. Such is the evenness of the competition, the Rams jump up to sixth on the ladder and are only six points behind joint leaders Altona City and Brunswick Juventus.