Check out all the NPL and VPL highlights from the weekend

TALKING POINTS: Comical scenes as a kit clash sees a match abandoned, Heidelberg United’s late, late show and FC Melbourne a step closer to legend.

Melbourne Knights and Dandenong Thunder's kit clash.

It’s the penultimate round of NPL and VPL football and boy did it deliver.

There was drama from start to finish and, funnily enough, it was Melbourne Knights and Dandenong Thunder delivering both.

The NPL premiership and finals places were wrapped up, while the VPL1 title race is also over.

Meanwhile in VPL2, the top-two played out a classic with the trophy on the line and the relegation battle is far from over.

Finally, our Goal of the Week nomination came with almost the last kick of the round.

Check out all the weekend’s highlights below.

STRIP CLASH FARCE

The weekend got off to a comical start when Melbourne Knights clash with Dandenong Thunder on Friday night was called off due to a kit clash. In farcical scenes at Knights Stadium, referee Ross Clark abandoned the game because he deemed the Knights’ home red strip was too similar to Thunder’s away pink. The match was rescheduled to Monday night and, bizarrely, went ahead with the teams wearing exactly the same kits. Football Victoria released a statement on Monday, apologising to both club and their fans.

“On Friday August 9, the NPL Victoria Round 25 match between Melbourne Knights FC and Dandenong Thunder FC was postponed due to a strip clash,” the statement read. “Football Victoria (FV) has determined that while the colour choices of the two team’s strips may not have been ideal, the match should have been allowed to continue. “The match has now been rescheduled to Monday, August 12 at 7.30pm at Knights Stadium. “FV apologises for the inconvenience caused to both teams and their members and fans and will use this opportunity to re-establish kit clash guidelines with all clubs & match officials. “FV will continue to ensure kit allocations for all clubs are readily available on the website and will communicate with clubs in advance of each fixture the required kits.”

In the end, Dandenong Thunder claimed a last-gasp victory 2-1. Mitch Hore had given Knights a first-half lead, banging home a Corey Sewell cutback. However, Jay Romanovski equalised in the 52nd minute, pouncing on a rebound after Chris Oldfield had saved Tom Dunn’s initial shot. Entering the 93rd minute, it looked like the points would be shared. However, Aidan Edwards acrobatically intercepted a Ivan Franjic clearance, knocking the ball to Danny Dixon. The second-half substitute, surged past his defender before unleashing an unstoppable long-range rocket into the top right-hand corner. An unbelievable strike to end a fixture full of drama. The result ends Melbourne Knights’ season, the loss dropping it five points behind sixth-placed Dandenong City.

92:37: GOAL! Dandenong Thunder score to make it MKFC 1 : DTFC 2.

Watch live and free at https://t.co/h6s3fuVIqL#NPLMVICpic.twitter.com/UJmjn1Ly9v

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) August 12, 2024

GOAL OF THE WEEK

He’s won Goal of the Week for sublime free kicks or stunning long-range curlers and Aamir Abdullah came oh so close to another nomination with a mesmerising show of close control, dribbling through four defenders, before finishing. However, with almost the last kick of the weekend Danny Dixon has snatched our Goal of the Week. The Dandenong Thunder veteran came off the bench to score the winner on Monday night. Taking the ball 35m out, he dribbled past his defender before unleashing violence, smashing the ball into the top corner from outside the area.

CITY INTO FINALS

Dandenong City has achieved something incredibly rare, promotion to NPL finals. City’s 5-3 victory over Port Melbourne at Frank Holohan Reserve on Friday night put one foot in the top-six. On Monday night, cross-town rival Dandenong Thunder did it a massive favour, beating Melbourne Knights to seal City’s finals place in its return to the top flight. Hadjuk is now four points clear of the Sharks and five points ahead of Knights. Dandenong took a 2-1 lead at half-time but a stunning rally from Port brought it back to 3-3 when Fraser Dunlop scored his second of the night. Yet a minute later, Will Bower restored Hadjuk’s lead and Brad Plant sealed it in injury time. Damian Iaconis scored a brace, while Valli Cesnik also found the back of the net. Fraser Dunlop scored twice and Tom Barforosh got off the mark for Port.

44:06: GOAL! Hume City score to make it HCFC 2 : AMSC 0.

Watch live and free at https://t.co/h6s3fuVIqL#NPLMVICpic.twitter.com/4oYABGvWXL

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) August 10, 2024

FOUR-WAY RACE FOR BYE

South Melbourne has locked away the premiership and will enjoy a week off in the first week of finals. But who will join them and secure a home semi-final? Avondale, Oakleigh Cannons and Hume City are all in the running. So, Avondale holds the whip hand, sitting second one point ahead of Oakleigh and Hume. The Avengers had a 1-1 draw with South Melbourne on Saturday and will need a win over Port Melbourne on Sunday to ensure a top-two finish. In a win for the fixture creator, Oakleigh and Hume face off in an early qualifying final. Both teams will be hoping to lock in a home elimination final at the very least. Fourthly, Heidelberg United is mathematically a chance, three points behind Avondale after a 2-1 win over Manningham United, but its goal difference is vastly inferior to the Avengers.

WARRIORS LATE SHOW

United is only in the equation after the most dramatic of finishes at Pettys Reserve on Saturday. The Warriors scored twice in second half stoppage time to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Manningham United. Playing for its season, the Blues looked to have three points locked in after Junya Kada opened the scoring in the 70th minute. However, Heidelberg found an equaliser in the 96th minute as Leo Mazis fired home from close range after a Josh Pin cutback. In a seemingly never-ending stoppage time, United found a winner in the 99th minute. Manningham keeper Hayden Browne stopped a Sean Ellis shot but the rebound ricocheted off Asahi Yokokawa and in, sending the visitors into raptures.

SAINTS HIGH FIVE

We said it last round and it hasn’t let us down. There is no hotter side in the NPL than St Albans. New coach Cam Watson has his Saints humming with five straight victories. The club has beaten the likes of Heidelberg United and Oakleigh Cannons in its run and produced a thumping 5-0 win over Green Gully on Sunday at Churchill Reserve. The victory sees St Albans leap-frog the Cavaliers and up into 11th and behind Dandenong Thunder only on goal difference, now well clear of any relegation danger. Lucas Byrns hit a superb hat-trick and Josh Fowler added a brace, becoming a dangerous one-two punch since teaming up. The Saints will finish with the hardest assignment in Victorian football, South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium but if there’s one team in even better form than Hellas, it’s Dinamo.

SOUTH WRAP UP PLATE

Step two, the NPL Victoria premiership secured. South Melbourne capped a gigantic week on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Avondale to seal the premiers plate and the second leg of a potential treble. In the space of seven days Hellas has won the Dockerty Cup in a heart-stopping penalty shootout over Oakleigh Cannons, knocked A-League club Wellington Phoenix out of the Australia Cup and now wrapped up top spot with a game remaining. Needing only a point at Avengers Park, Nahuel Bonada’s 12th goal of the campaign gave South a first half lead. The Avengers equalised through Kristian Trajceski in the second half but couldn’t find a winner to keep their premiership defence alive.

SAWYER HAS ONE FOOT IN BOOT

Having guided the club to Dockerty Cup and NPL premiership success, South Melbourne captain Harrison Sawyer can earn himself some individual silverware on Saturday. The star striker holds a two-goal lead in the NPL Golden Boot race. Sawyer has 16 goals to sit ahead of Hume City’s Aamir Abdullah and Alex Salmon of Oakleigh on 14. Lloyd Isgrove (Hume City), Ben Everson (Manningham United), Bul Juach (Altona Magic) and Stefan Zinni (Avondale) will need hat-tricks to catch up. Hellas face St Albans at Lakeside Stadium in the final round.

PREMIERSHIP VICTORY

Melbourne Victory is no stranger to silverware but the club claimed a historic achievement on Saturday. For the first time since its inception in 2008, Victory’s academy have won a senior men’s trophy, the VPL1 premiership. A commanding 4-0 win over Kingston City at John Cain Reserve secured the maiden title and back-to-back promotions. The result sees the club jump from VPL2, the third tier of state football, to the top-flight NPL in the space of 12 months.

THREE-WAY PROMOTION RACE

A place in NPL Victoria is up for grabs this weekend. Preston Lions, Northcote City and Western United are locked in a three-way battle for promotion with one game left. The Lions occupy the box seat, leading the race by one point after a 1-0 win over Brunswick City on Friday night. They will tackle Langwarrin at Lawton Park on Saturday. Any stumble and Western United is poised to pounce. A thumping 5-0 win over Bulleen Lions on Sunday gives the A-League academy team a vastly superior goal difference to their two rivals. It faces premier Melbourne Victory at Murphy Reserve on Saturday hoping to join it in the top flight. Thirdly, Northcote City will need results to go its way, sitting two points behind Preston. Hercules claimed a 2-0 win over Langwarrin on Friday night to remain in the mix and will need to defeat Bulleen at John Cain Reserve on Saturday to stand a chance of moving up.

CITY FINISHING STRONG

It perhaps wasn’t the season Melbourne City was hoping for, sitting mid-table for much of it, but a strong finish will build confidence for 2025. The academy team has won five games straight and is six games undefeated after a thumping 4-0 win over Eastern Lions at Jack Edwards Reserve on Saturday. Marcus Humbert scored a brace and Roland Ballah found the back of the net in the win. Nathan Sim scored an unfortunate own goal for Eastern. City has drawn with premier Melbourne Victory 3-3 and beaten Western United, Northcote City and Preston Lions in its winning run, jumping up to fifth on the VPL1 ladder.

DOMFEH HOLDS BOOT LEAD

With one game remaining, gun Northcote City import Michael Domfeh has one hand on the VPL1 golden boot. The former Perth Glory striker has 16 goals for the season, one clear of Langwarrin’s Archie McPhee and two ahead of Melbourne Victory’s Adem Duratovic. If he can hold on, Domfeh would add the trophy to his NPL Western Australia Golden Boot in 2019. A big performance in the final game of the season against Bulleen Lions would also go a long way to Hercules claiming promotion.

SRBIJA ON CUSP OF LEGEND

FC Melbourne’s dream season reached continued on Saturday. A stunning come-from-behind 2-1 win over VPL2 premiership rival North Sunshine – at Larissa Reserve no less – puts Srbija in the box seat for back-to-back titles. The club must now win or draw against Essendon Royals in the final game of the season to lift the trophy. Eagles ace Redouane Sarakh had given the home side a first-half lead, nut-megging keeper Jarrod Hill. However, boom off-season signing Luka Ninkovic rewarded the club with a brace in the second half to snatch victory, heading home an equaliser in the 80th minute and netting the winner three minutes later from the penalty spot. The two goals also take him to a joint lead in the VPL2 golden boot. It comes just days after the Burnley-based club also qualified for the Australia Cup Round of 16 with a penalty shootout win over South Australia’s Modbury Jets. Srbija will face NPL club Hume City in a fortnight. Meanwhile, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Eagles, yet. A FC Melbourne loss and Eagles win over Goulburn Valley would see North Sunshine claim top spot on goal difference.

BOX HILL SAFE

Box Hill chose the perfect time to produce arguably its best performance of the season. Teetering on the edge of relegation, Pythagoras scored a dominant 4-1 win over Nunawading City at Wembley Park to secure its VPL2 future. Luke Pickett gave the home team the perfect start, firing home from close range for a one-goal half-time lead. The floodgates opened in the second as Michael Romas scored a brace and Ruben Sanchez Marcano made a late bid for the club’s goal of the year with a long-range rocket. Felix Dimitrakis scored Nunawading City’s lone goal, while Dennys Martin earned two yellow cards and was sent off.

CITY SMASHING

Altona City heaped more misery on Brunswick Juventus on Friday with a 6-1 thumping at CB Smith Reserve. The Zebras have gone from premiership and promotion contenders to mid-table in a late-season collapse that has seen the club gone winless in seven matches. After a rough fortnight of its own, City bounced back in style to cement third place on the ladder. Jayson Ziro scored a brace and Jordan Lam, Rikuo Kanakubo and Marcus Petricca also found the back of the net, while a Kwangmook Lim own goal rounded out the scoring. Matt Cundari scored Brunswick’s lone goal. In its first season in VPL2 after winning the State League 1 North-West title and not having access to its home ground for the majority of the season, Altona City has produced an exemplary season that will hold it in good stead for 2025.

DOVETON ALIVE BUT SUNS KEEP CLEAR

The VPL2 relegation battle will come down to the final week as Doveton and Goulburn Valley Suns fight for survival. For the second round in a row, Goulburn Valley claimed a desperately needed victory to stay clear of the bottom two. On Saturday, the Suns edged Pascoe Vale 2-1 at John McEwen Reserve thanks to goals from Callum Schorah and Liam Kielty either side of half-time. The result keeps them one point clear of Doveton. Back in Melbourne, the Doves kept their season alive with a 1-0 win over bottom-placed Beaumaris at Beaumaris Reserve. A first-half strike from Jason Quinlan was enough to snare all three points. Both sides face tough assignments in the final round as Goulburn Valley tackles promotion-winners North Sunshine Eagles, while Doveton travels to Pascoe Vale.