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

TALKING POINTS: Mikael Platt continued St Alban’s late-game scoring to stun Oakleigh Cannons, while Caroline Springs George Cross is eyeing an NPL return.

Mikael Platt in action for St Albans. Picture: St Albans SC

It’s the pointy end of the NPL and VPL seasons.

The premiership races, top-six struggles and relegations battles are red-hot.

There were plenty more stunning performances, goals and late heroics this weekend.

None more so than Mikael Platt for St Albans and Kali Kamara at Avondale.

Check out all the highlights from around the grounds below.

SAINTS LATE SHOW

Last week it was Josh Divin in the 90th minute to secure a 2-2 draw with Avondale. The week before it was Lucas Byrns in the 90th minute to rescue a 2-2 draw with South Melbourne. On Friday night, it looked like St Albans was heading for a fourth straight 2-2 draw against Oakleigh Cannons. However, the Saints find another gear when the clock hits 90 and so it proved again. In the 94th minute, Michael Grgic’s cross somehow found its way to Mikael Platt and he made no mistake from close range – sending the Churchill Reserve crowd into raptures – and snatching a famous 3-2 victory. In the past four weeks, Dinamo has taken points from Heidelberg United, Avondale and South Melbourne and topped Oakleigh. Adem Duratovic had given the Cannons a 52nd minute lead, only to see Jarome Charan equalise three minutes later. Joey Monek then gave the home team a lead but it only lasted 11 minutes before Kingsley Sinclair levelled the scores. With just seconds remaining, St Albans continued their late-goal streak thanks to Platt’s winner. The result sees the Saints climb out of the bottom three, moving two points clear of Melbourne Victory – who play Monday night – in 12th ahead of a critical clash with relegation-threatened Port Melbourne. Meanwhile, Oakleigh’s premiership aspirations are over with the reigning champions to set themselves for another big finals campaign.

🚨🟡 NPLMVIC GOAL! 85:46: Dandenong Thunder FC score to make it SMFC 0 : DTFC 1.

Watch live and free at https://t.co/SD1KcDDDwUpic.twitter.com/xNVLFm2L2T

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) June 22, 2025

BIG NIGHT FOR MEMETI

Medin Memeti has been stealing all the limelight this season but finally it was Mersim Memeti’s time to shine on Sunday. The Dandenong Thunder star scored a 89th-minute match-winner as the high-flying club knocked over South Melbourne 1-0 at Lakeside Stadium. On the left wing, Yuki Uchida turned his man inside out and put in an inch-perfect cross to find Memeti all alone for the simplest of headers. “It’s always tough coming here but we worked hard as a team until the final minute,” Memeti told club media after the win. “It’s always good scoring, I don’t score too many, so I’ll take it. “It’s a great result for us, keeping in touch with the top-two, and giving us some space to fourth.” The strike is Memeti’s second of the season but his second in the past three weeks. The result cements the Thunder in third place on the ladder, eight points behind leader Heidelberg United.

WARRIORS SPOIL HEGARTY RETURN

Hume City officially welcomed club great Nick Hegarty back to the dugout on Friday night but couldn’t deliver a much-needed three points. Instead, ladder-leader Heidelberg United went home with the spoils after a hard-fought 1-0 win at Broadmeadows Stadium. Bul Juach scored in just the second minute of the match and it held up. Hume had more shots on goal (13-10) but United had the better quality chances (3-5). Speaking after the match, Hegarty said there were some good signs for his team. “The lads are obviously disappointed, in a positive way,” he told club media. “We controlled the game for most parts. “My spin on it is, I think we’re in a better place than what I’m going to ask them to do. “The loss hurts because I thought we were deserving of more but from where we want our performances to be there’s a lot of good signs there.” Juach’s strike is his 14th of the campaign and sees him take the league goalscoring lead outright. Heidelberg sit three points clear on top of the ladder, ahead of Avondale, while Hume is fifth and four points ahead of seventh-placed Dandenong City in the top-six race.

CITY KEEP PRESSURE ON

The race for the top-six will go down to the wire with Dandenong City pushing hard to repeat last season’s finals appearance. Hadjuk sits seventh on the NPL ladder after a 2-1 win over Altona Magic at Frank Holohan Reserve on Friday night. The club is just two points behind Preston Lions in sixth and four back of fifth-placed Hume City with seven games remaining. After an impressive season last year, Tim Atherinos has been quieter in 2025 but produced his best performance of the year. The young gun scored in the 10th and 35th minutes to power City to victory – his third and fourth goals of the campaign. Saad Moukachar pulled one back for Altona in the 45th minute but the visitors couldn’t find an equaliser in the second half. Dandenong’s night was soured somewhat as Jake Noble was sent off after a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.

GULLY SHOWS NO MERCY

Battling to keep its finals hopes alive, Green Gully closed in on the top-six with a big win over Melbourne Knights on Friday night. Skipper Josh Hope scored a brace to inspire the 4-1 victory at Knights Stadium. Jalil Regague opened the scoring in the 24th minute and Hope doubled the lead in the shadows of half-time. Gianluca Iannucci made it three in the 58th and Hope put an exclamation point on the performance in the 71st. Ciaran Bramwell then got a late consolation goal from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. The Cavaliers sit eighth, now just three points behind Preston Lions in sixth.

🚨🟡 NPLMVIC GOAL! 91:05: Avondale FC score to make it PLFC 1 : AVFC 1.

Watch live and free at https://t.co/SD1KcDDDwUpic.twitter.com/xvKSkDeYMc

— NPL Victoria (@nplvictoria) June 22, 2025

KAMARA FROM DOWNTOWN

Avondale’s Kali Kamara scored in the opening day win over Oakleigh Cannons. He hadn’t troubled the scorers in the 18 weeks since. However, when his team needed him the most, the centre-back pulled out a moment of magic. Trailing Preston Lions 1-0 entering the 92nd minute at Avengers Park, Kamara took the ball 35m from goal, dribbled past his man and tried his luck from long-range. The shot wasn’t hit with any great strength, it bounced along the ground the entire way, there wasn’t a great deal of traffic in front of the net, yet somehow it evaded Preston keeper Bon Scott’s outstretched fingers and nestled into the back of the net. The stunning strike rescued a 1-1 draw after Giorgio Serdenes had given the Lions a 17th-minute lead with a beautiful diving header. The result keeps Avondale within three points of ladder-leader Heidelberg United in the premiership race. The dropped points are a blow to Preston as it sits sixth, now only two points ahead of Dandenong City and three clear of Green Gully.

BRUNSWICK EYEING PLAYOFFS

After a shock loss to Langwarrin, Brunswick City has now taken down a premiership contender and a major top-six rival. After beating Caroline Springs George Cross last week, the Spartans backed it up on Friday night with a commanding 3-0 win over Bulleen Lions at Dunstan Reserve. Sione Faapoi scored the winner last week and was back on the scoreboard again this week, giving Brunswick a 35th-minute lead. Former A-League star Jesse Makarounas then sealed the three points with a second-half brace, bagging goals in the 72nd and 82nd minutes. The result sees Brunswick sit fifth on the VPL1 ladder, four points clear of the Lions in seventh in the top-six race. Despite the loss, Bulleen is still only one point out of the finals places, chasing Northcote City.

WESTERN EYEING PROMOTION

Western United is chasing promotion. The A-League academy side sits fourth on the VPL1 ladder but has some work to do, now seven points behind the top two automatic promotion places. A stunning late fightback against Northcote City has certainly boosted their chances. United roared home to snatch all three points at John Cain Park on Friday night, winning 2-1. Josh Wilkins had given Northcote a 48th-minute lead but Mark Leonard found an equaliser in the 83rd minute. Then with just minutes left, Harry Casci popped up to score a 90th-minute winner. While it was a boost for Western, it’s a major blow for City, which is now sixth and teetering on the edge of missing the playoffs entirely with Bulleen Lions just a point behind in seventh.

CITY CEMENTS TOP SPOT

Melbourne City is in the box seat to play NPL football for the first time next year. City currently sits two points clear of Caroline Springs George Cross and Bentleigh Greens in what looks a three-way battle for two automatic promotion places. However, it wasn’t without a scare on Saturday as strugglers Eastern Lions threw everything at their more fancied rivals. It took a 90th-minute Aaron Cartwright goal to seal all three points at Gardiners Creek Reserve. Ren Nagamatsu gave the Lions a 29th-minute lead only to see Beckham Baker equalise three minutes later. Xavier Stella put the visitors in front in the 47th and it looked like the points would be shared when Nagamatsu scored his second four minutes from time. However, good teams find a way and Cartwright’s first senior goal, in his fifth appearance, saved the day.

SRBIJA POURS MORE MISERY ON MORELAND

Not long ago, FC Melbourne was on the bottom of the VPL1 ladder, how times have changed. Srbija has flown up the ladder in recent weeks. Since securing its first win in Round 11, the club has won six of nine matches and five of its last six the latest a 3-0 hammering of bottom-placed Moreland City. The reigning VPL2 premier is now ninth, securing its VPL1 future, and is just five points out of the top-six. Moreland, meanwhile, sits last, now nine points away from avoiding relegation. City is facing back-to-back relegation, the second club in as many years to suffer the ignominy after North Geelong also dropped from NPL to VPL2.

NORTH’S HIGH FIVE

North Sunshine just missed out on a premiership last year but its outperforming FC Melbourne this season and within reach of a surprise VPL1 finals spot – and a shot at back-to-back promotions. The Eagles thrashed struggling Kingston City 5-0 at Larissa Reserve on Saturday to close within a point of sixth-placed Northcote City. Aiden Olds got the party started in the 17th minute and a Jack Foden own goal doubled the lead on the half-hour mark. Ndue Mujeci made it 10 goals on the year – fourth most in the competition – in the 63rd and Elibol and Muhtari added the icing and the cherry on top of a dominant performance. Kingston City, meanwhile, is starring down the barrel of relegation, sitting 13th and eight points away from safety.

GEORGIES HIT SIX, LOFTS HATTY

Anything North Sunshine can do, neighbouring rivals Caroline Springs can do better. The Eagles hit five goals, George Cross bags six. The high-flying Georgies moved up to second on the VPL1 ladder and into an automatic promotion place with a 6-1 hammering of Manningham United at City Vista on Saturday. Luke Lofts scored a hat-trick in a stunning 30-minute blitz. The gun striker opened the scoring in the 10th minute, made it two in the 18th and added his third in the 39th. It takes him to 14 on the season and a commanding lead in the Golden Boot race. Riki Hosoai scored in the 28th minute and Josh Whiteley made it five in the first half, just before the break. Morgan Filer put a cherry on top with a goal in the 68th minute. George Cross jumps above Bentleigh Greens on goal difference and is just two points behind Melbourne City in the premiership race.

GREENS IN TROUBLE? LANGY NOT?

It’s been a tough few weeks for Bentleigh Greens. The club was sitting on top of the VPL1 ladder and looking good for a premiership charge but three weeks later and the club is third, outside the automatic promotion places. It had lost to FC Melbourne and Western United in the previous fortnight and on Saturday was held to a 1-1 draw by neighbouring Langwarrin. Chris Droutsas gave the Greens the lead in just the seventh minute and it looked like a comfortable day but Brad Blumenthal found an answer for Langwarrin, levelling the scores in the 55th. The result leaves Bentleigh in third, two points behind leader Melbourne City and behind Caroline Springs on goal difference. The draw continued Langy’s mid-season revival with the club now 11th and three points clear of the relegation zone.

BARFOROSH LIFTS RAMS AGAIN

Pascoe Vale has gone back-to-back for the first time this season. The Rams made the long trek up to Shepparton on Saturday and came home with all three points over sixth-placed Goulburn Valley. It follows last weeks’ breakthrough performance against Essendon Royals. Nic Hatzigeorgiou got the visitors on the board at John McEwen Reserve and just as the game looked to be heading for a draw, last week’s two-goal hero Tom Barforosh stepped up to score a last-gasp winner. The result sees Pascoe Vale move off the bottom of the ladder and now just three points away from safety, behind Geelong in 11th. Meanwhile, the Suns drop out of the top-six in a major blow to their playoff hopes.

ZEBRAS RALLY

A couple of untimely draws had seen Brunswick Zebras drop out of the top-two but the Zebras are back in the box seat for automatic promotion. The club sits second after a comfortable 3-1 win over Box Hill United at Wembley Park on Friday night. Lewis Gilboy opened the scoring in the 11th minute. Nick Weller brought Pythogoras level on the stroke of half-time. However, it was all Juventus in the second half, Josh Urbina restored the lead in the 67th minute and Greg Siamoa wrapped up the three points in the 83rd. It sees Brunswick just one point behind ladder-leader North Geelong in the premiership race and one point in ahead of Eltham Redbacks.

FOUR TO THE FLOOR

Nunawading City has been win-loss-win-loss for the past four matches and it continued that trend on Friday night with a thumping 4-0 win over Whittlesea United at Epping Stadium. Mixed in there was a stunning Dockerty Cup victory over Hume City too, which qualified the club for the Australia Cup knockout stages. Santiago Lupino gave the visitors the perfect start, scoring in the sixth minute. Alex Kubenko then doubled the lead in the 37th. As it had done in the first half, Nunawading struck quickly in the second as Stuart Edgar made it three within minutes of the restart. He earned himself a brace in the 68th minute to cap a terrific team performance. City now sits eighth, just five points off the top-six.

ALTONA DENTS REDBACKS HOPES

Eltham Redbacks have been held scoreless twice this season, Altona City made it three on Friday night. The long trip down to Kim Reserve put a major dent in the reigning State League South-East premiers’ hopes of back-to-back titles. Goals from Breckan Baker (38th) and Nick Georgopoulos (51st) secured City a stirring 2-0 win and lifted the club into the VPL2 top-six and a potential playoff spot. The club moves one point ahead of GV Suns. The Redbacks have fallen to third, and outside the automatic promotion places, but remain just one point behind Brunswick Juventus and two behind ladder-leader North Geelong.

WHITE EAGLES STUN ROYALS

Essendon Royals were eyeing a premiership run and promotion. Those hopes now appear to be in tatters after a fourth straight VPL2 defeat on Saturday. Springvale White Eagles handed Essendon a 3-0 thumping at Cross Keys Reserve to boost its own playoff hopes. Goran Zoric gave the visitors the lead in the 36th minute and they never looked back. Josh Millar doubled the lead just two minutes later. Daniel Bennett made it three in the 77th minute to cap a fine performance on the road. The result sees Springvale cement itself in fourth. Essendon now sits fifth but remains in a strong position to play finals and have a crack at promotion back to VPL1.

EAGLES HOLD WARRIORS

North Geelong was on top of the world last week after moving to the top of the VPL2 ladder but got an immediate reality check on Saturday. The Warriors made the long journey up to Wilcox Field to face relegation-threatened Boroondara-Carey Eagles. North Geelong were reduced to 10 men with 30 minutes to play when Cameron Scerri saw a second yellow. The Eagles took a shock 83rd minute lead through Andrew Le Page. However, the lead lasted just two minutes as George Elliss rescued a point for the visitors. In the aftermath both Le Page and Andrew McLean were sent off for Boroondara-Carey as the points were shared. McLean had only been on for two minutes before getting his marching orders. Despite the result, North Geelong remain on top of the ladder, while Boroondara-Carey falls to the bottom of the table and is now four points from safety.

STATE LEAGUE UPDATE

There is 10 weeks to go in the State League competitions and the race to play VPL2 is heating up. In SL1 North-West, it’s Keilor Park who leads the way, holding a four-point lead over Banyule City. Recent VPL2 club Ballarat City sits third. Over in SL1 South-West, Malvern City has a two-point buffer ahead of rising power Bayside Argonauts and Mornington. Relegated last year, Beaumaris and Doveton sit fifth and sixth respectively. The premiership winners will automatically step up next year, while the runners-up in each competition will play off for the third promotion spot.

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