Get all the major talking points from the weekend’s NPL Victoria action here

Melbourne Knights continued their strong form, Oakleigh Cannons were deadly from set pieces and there was penalty drama in NPL2 and NPL3.

Ivan Franjic in action for Melbourne Knights: Picture: Mikko Robles

The NPL Victoria ladder is starting to take shape as we hit Round 10.

The likes of Avondale, South Melbourne and Oakleigh have broken away from the pack, while a log-jam of teams battle for a finals spot.

That’s certainly not the case in NPL2 with a host of teams in premiership and promotion contention.

Meanwhile, the NPL Goal of the Week could be raffled between four players, each scoring spectacular goals. Check out the highlights.

We’ve wrapped up the weekend’s action and talking points below.

Corey Sewell in action for Melbourne Knights.

KNIGHTS AIM FOR PREMIERSHIP CHALLENGE

A dominant first half set up Melbourne Knights’ 3-2 victory over Green Gully at Knights Stadium on Monday night. The Cavaliers threatened to steal points with a thrilling late comeback but the Knights held on for their third consecutive win. Knights striker Ciaran Bramwell was the star of the show giving his side the upper hand with a first-half brace.

Then with just five minutes remaining, all hell broke loose. Gully ace Pierce Waring struck an impressive goal in the 84th minute to get his side back in the contest. A minute later, Mohammed Sumaoro quickly settled the home side, restoring its two-goal margin. However, the nerves were jangling again in the 87th minute after a Joseph Franjic own goal gave the Cavaliers a sniff of a draw but they couldn’t find the equaliser.

It was the Knights’ sixth win of the season, cementing them in fourth spot on the table, five points clear of fifth-placed Gully. As the club’s confidence grows, coach Ben Cahn believes it can improve further and challenge for the premiership. “We are still very early in this process,” he said. “We have pretty much got a whole new squad and that takes time. “There are still lots of things that we know we can improve on and there are areas of our game that we know we can be a lot more consistent in.”

Cahn said he was looking forward to testing his side against the likes of South Melbourne and Oakleigh with a more connected and experienced team. “It was probably a bit unfortunate for us that we played Oakleigh and South as two of our first three games,” he said. “We were still very new and certainly weren’t anywhere near our best. “We are eager to play them again in the second half of the season and we believe that on our day, we can take points off them. “We will do our best to keep in touch with them and make sure we are there if they slip up.”

The Knights are still alive in the Australia Cup as well after defeating Corio 6-1 at home and will take on Box Hill away in two weeks. The league, Knights will take on Hume City next week, while Green Gully hosts Dandenong Thunder.

23:12: GOAL! Dandenong Thunder SC scores to make it DNT 1 : MCFC 0

Watch live and free on https://t.co/bOA3JNp71S#NPLVIC#DNTMCFCpic.twitter.com/mnLJpmOzkt

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) April 22, 2023

GOAL OF THE WEEK

Seriously difficult decision this week with four absolute bangers. Firstly, South Melbourne’s Andy Brennan running almost the full length of the pitch before blasting home was an extraordinary effort of endurance and then skill under pressure. Earlier in the same game, Dor Jok controlled a long ball forward with his chest before curling home a sublime volley. Green Gully striker Pierce Waring’s league-leading eight goal of the campaign was a thing of beauty. Taking a seemingly innocuous ball 30 metres from goal the Cavaliers ace launches a rocket that gives the Melbourne Knights keeper no chance. However, we’ve awarded it to Dandenong Thunder’s Deniz Yildiz. The centre back takes the ball in midfield and just crushes the ball with his left boot. The strike curls perfectly past a defender and Moreland City goalkeeper into the far side netting. It sent the Thunder on their way to victory and opened Yildiz’s personal account for the season as well.

83:50: GOAL! Green Gully SC scores to make it MKFC 2 : GG 1

Watch live and free on https://t.co/bOA3JNp71S#NPLVIC#MKFCGGpic.twitter.com/hU4FVQnnxs

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) April 24, 2023

WARRIORS HOLD WARRIORS

Heidelberg United will be ruing a missed opportunity to snare a much-needed win after being held to a 1-all draw by North Geelong at Olympic Park. More worryingly for United, North Geelong scored both goals. George Elliss put the visitors in front with a 32nd minute strike before an own goal by Anthony Banovac on the stroke of half-time levelled the scores. It’s a critical point for North Geelong, which hadn’t earned one since its Round 1 win over Bentleigh Greens, losing eight straight matches and shipping 28 goals.

EAGLES TAKE TOP SPOT IN NPLW

Boroondara-Carey Eagles’ 3-2 win over Calder United at home on Saturday has put them on top of the NPL Victoria Women’s ladder. It was Kurea Okino’s brace that led the Eagles to its fourth win of the season after six games. Okino has been a star for the Eagles this season, scoring 12 of their 16 goals. Preston Lions and Alamein are two points behind the Eagles on the ladder in second and third respectively with goal difference splitting the two sides.

SOUTH PUTS THE FOOT DOWN

South Melbourne dominated its Monday night’s outing against Port Melbourne, winning 5-2 at Lakeside Stadium on Monday night. The home side surged out to a 3-0 lead in the first half before the Sharks hit back with a goal before half-time. Max Mikkola scored his second goal to restore South’s three-goal buffer in the 77th minute before Dor Jok scored a spectacular goal to get the Sharks back in the game. However, the best was arguably saved for last with Andy Brennan running almost the length of the pitch to score an astonishing solo goal with basically the last kick of the game. The win puts the reigning premier in second position, three points behind undefeated Avondale. It will take on Altona Magic next week before a blockbuster showdown with the Avengers at Lakeside Stadium in Round 12.

90:33: GOAL! South Melbourne FC scores to make it SMFC 5 : PMSC 2

Watch live and free on https://t.co/bOA3JNp71S#NPLVIC#SMFCPMSCpic.twitter.com/HRlflDMMEK

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) April 24, 2023

MARKOVIC STREAK CONTINUES

Jonas Markovic’s personal six-game scoring streak came to an end in Altona Magic’s 5-1 loss to Oakleigh but the family streak lives on. Josh Markovski made it seven games in a row for the brothers with his first goal of the season. Markovski made it a 1-all game in the 42nd minute, the first to react to a rebound off the crossbar to bury a header. Unfortunately for the Magic it only served to spark the Cannons, who re-took the lead two minutes later and scored three second half goals to wrap up a comprehensive win.

BENTLEIGH WIN A THRILLER

Bentleigh picked up their second win of the season in a 3-2 triumph over Hume City away from home on Saturday. After going without a win or draw in the first six games of the season, the Greens have since won two of their last four matches under new coach Riccardo Marchioli. The Round 10 win over City on Saturday was a thriller which saw the Greens come from behind to take the three points. Chris Theodorakopoulos starred with two goals including a tap-in goal in the 72nd minute to win the game. Just before half-time, the Greens had luck go their way with an own goal from a corner to put them 2-1 up. City’s Jawad Rezai scored his second goal in the 57th minute to make it 2-all before the thrilling finish. The Greens edge closer to a rise up the table from 13th position as they sit on six points and just one point below St Albans and face Port Melbourne next week.

CANNONS SET PIECE PROWESS

Oakleigh showcased its threat from the dead ball with a clinical display against Altona Magic on Friday night. Three of the Cannons’ five goals came from set pieces. Connor Hampson opened the scoring with a powerful header from a Joe Guest corner. Guest and Hampson combined again for the second, this time from a free kick. Then in the second half, a Chris Lucas corner found Daniel Clark’s head and the back of the net. Lucas rounded out the 5-2 triumph by getting himself on the scoresheet thanks to a sublime through-ball from Guest – his third assist of the night.

Chris Lucas in action for Oakleigh Cannons.

THUNDER FINALLY WIN AT HOME

Strangely, George Andrews Reserve has not been home, sweet home for Dandenong this season with the Thunder suffering four defeats and earning one draw in their five matches. However, the luck finally changed on Saturday night with a 3-2 triumph over Moreland City. Deniz Yildiz and Kieran Dover gave the home team a 2-0 lead early in the second half before Moreland City got on the board from the penalty spot. Grad Damen restored the two-goal margin with a penalty of his own and City made for a nervous final five minutes when Fletcher Fulton scored in the 84th minute. However, Dandenong held on for a critical win.

TIGHT AT THE TOP

While there’s still 16 games to go, the NPL2 premiership and promotion races are ridiculously tight. Just six points separates the competition’s top eight clubs after Round 10. Five different teams have sat on top of the ladder at various stages of the season. As it stands, promoted Preston Lions is on top on goal difference, two goals ahead of Western United, both locked on 21 points. Then, four points back is a red-hot Dandenong City, Kingston City and Pascoe Vale. Langwarrin is only a point behind in sixth and Manningham United and Eastern Lions are just another point behind in seventh and eight respectively. Every weekend is critical and in Round 11 Kingston City hosts Western United and Eastern Lions welcomes Pascoe Vale.

DANDENONG CITY REVIVAL CONTINUES

After starting the season with one win, one draw and three losses, City has stormed up the NPL2 ladder. Wins over Melbourne City (3-1), Langwarrin (4-0), Brunswick Juventus (2-0) and Kingston City (3-0) sees the club in third place, just four points behind joint leaders Preston Lions and Western United. Friday’s stunning win over Kingston, was wrapped up in just 10 minutes. Will Bower opened the scoring in the first minute of the game and Damian Iaconis doubled the lead just two minutes later. Iaconis netted his second in the eighth minute and that was the game. Bad luck for any fans that were a few minutes late.

BEES’ PENALTY DRAMA

There was high drama at Galvin Park on Saturday as Werribee City snatched a 3-2 victory over Melbourne City. Trailing 2-1 as second-half injury time approached, the Bees staged a miraculous comeback. Daniel Petrov levelled the scores with his second goal of the game in the 87th minute, sending the home fans into hysterics. Then the drama, with a 92nd minute penalty awarded to Werribee and Lars Kinnander made no mistake to claim all three points. The win lifts the Bees up to 10th with 12 points, five points clear of the relegation spots, while Melbourne City remains anchored to the bottom of the ladder.

EAGLES STUNNING COMEBACK, PENALTY DRAMA

North Sunshine’s pulled off a stunning come-from-behind 5-4 win over Geelong at Larissa Reserve with a late penalty proving decisive. Brandon Fumic had opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 12th minute but the home side quickly found themselves 4-1 down after a blistering Geelong burst. The visitors scored all four goals in an 11-minute period in the first half – Anthony Trajkoski and Taira Yoshimura each scoring twice. Nick Epifano finally broke Geelong’s run in the 37th minute to get his team back in the game before half-time. North Sunshine levelled the scores in the 81st minute and Epifano converted a 90th minute spot kick in the to cap a remarkable victory.

ROYALS ON THE BOARD

Essendon Royals celebrated their first victory since stepping up to NPL3 on Friday night with a 1-0 victory over Beaumaris. Graham Kelly was the hero, scoring the winner in the 21st minute. The win was even more meritorious after William Abbott was shown a straight red card just before half-time and the Royals played the second half with 10 men. Last season’s State League 1 North-West runners-up still sit in the relegation zone with four points from six matches but will now doubt be boosted by getting that all-important first win.