NPL Victoria Men’s (NPLM) Round 2 was full of entertainment, top-shelf goals and even a match-of-the-season contender.
In Round 3, we look ahead to another exciting round of NPLM football as the table starts to take shape.
Bentleigh Greens v Green Gully
7:30 pm, Friday 3 March, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
After a slow start to the season for both Clubs, can either side claim their first win of the season?
Both Clubs have experienced slow starts to 2023, each experiencing back-to-back losses. There’s plenty on the line this Friday as Bentleigh and Green Gully look to kickstart their seasons.
Bentleigh has suffered successive losses to the promoted clubs to open their campaign, with a 3-1 defeat against North Geelong followed by a 2-1 loss to Moreland City.
Most recently, the Greens gained the early ascendancy when Jackson Morgan was able to head home a Christian Cavallo free kick in the seventh minute, but some defensive lapses and flat-footed defending allowed Moreland City to get back into the game and ultimately take the three points.
A squad overhaul in the off-season meant Bentleigh was somewhat of an unknown heading into season 2023, but despite a challenging start to the year, Peter Tichy will be confident of getting his squad to gel and earning some results in the coming weeks.
Green Gully has experienced similar struggles to start their season, albeit both losses have come against last season’s Grand Finalists.
After conceding three against Oakleigh on Matchday 1, South Melbourne found the net three times at Green Gully reserve, with former Bentleigh man Ajak Riak bagging a second-half brace.
A 31st-minute red card to Gianluca Iannucci meant the game would always be an uphill struggle for Gully, although there were some positives to take out of the performance.
Defence appears the key for both sides, with Bentleigh conceding a series of soft goals over the first two rounds while Gully have conceded six in two games.
Green Gully got the last laugh between the sides most recently, winning 2-0 in the Elimination Final following successive 3-0 and 4-0 Bentleigh wins in the regular season.
GOAL: Green Gully's Alan Gerez following slotting his team's first goal. Picture: Mark Avellino.
St Albans Saints v Heidelberg United
8:00 pm, Friday 3 March, Churchill Reserve
Can Heidelberg kickstart their season, or will St Albans pull off an early season upset at home?
Both teams have started the season with two draws for the season setting this week up as a crunch clash for both teams.
Last week, the Bergers opened the scoring in the 44th minute against Hume when Josh Pinn scored a brilliant backheel goal in the 44th minute, although they were forced to share the points after conceding late in the game.
St Albans will be confident they have the firepower to take down Heidelberg with forward George Ott fresh off scoring a hat trick against Dandenong Thunder.
Despite Ott's heroics, the Saints were forced to settle for a draw after giving up three goals in the final 15 minutes, a concerning trend after giving up a goal in the 86th-minute goal to the Knights in round one.
The Saints also have the wood over the Bergers, defeating them 2-0 in round seven last season, while they played out a 0-0 draw in round 20.
Avondale v Hume City
3:15 pm, Saturday 4 March, Avenger Park
Can Hume register a result against the highly fancied Avondale or will the Avengers continue their winning ways?
Avondale has been an aggressive side forward of centre this season, having 18 shots on target to 2 this season. Despite the limited opportunities, Port Melbourne was able to score two goals in round one, potentially exposing a weakness in the Avengers side.
Yusef Ahmed was the match-winner against Altona, scoring two goals, forming a formidable front line alongside Alex Salmon, who managed to get on the score sheet in round one.
Hume appears a difficult team to read so far, coming away with two draws from the opening fixtures. They have seemed defensively sound although have conceded two goals from a lapse in concentration.
Avondale most recently defeated Hume City 4-3 at home in round 17 of last season, and in round four they also took home the three points, winning 3-0 at Hume City Stadium.
Port Melbourne v Moreland City
6:00 pm, Saturday 4 March, JL Murphy Reserve
Can Moreland City's impressive return to the NPLM continue with a big win over Port Melbourne?
Moreland has proved there not going to be an easy win following promotion, pushing South Melbourne and defeating Bentleigh Greens last week.
Although Moreland has been impressive upon return to the NPLM, they can still improve on defending set pieces, conceding from free-kicks in both opening rounds.
Port Melbourne accounted for North Geelong last week 2-0 after drawing with Avondale the week before.
The Moreland forward line led by Fletcher Fulton will need to be at its clinical best this week if they are to get past the Port Melbourne defence, who have a perfect mixture of youth and experience.
Altona Magic v North Geelong
6:15 pm, Saturday 4 March, Paisley Park
Can Altona claim their first win of the season or can North Geelong jump into the top six?
North Geelong was full of confidence after their first-round win over Bentleigh Greens, however, they fell short to Port Melbourne, losing 2-0. The Warriors were valiant in defeat, however, will be confident they can bounce back this week against the Magic.
Altona was outclassed by Avondale in round two, losing 3-0 on the road. They gave up too many shots on goal and lacked polish-up forward in defeat.
The Magic only registered one shot on target last week and will need to feed the ball through Jonas Markovski if they are going to claim the three points.
Dandenong Thunder v Oakleigh Cannons
7:00 pm, Saturday 4 March, George Andrews Reserve
Will confidence be high enough for the Thunder to knock off the reigning champions?
The Cannons sit were starring down the barrel of their second successive win last week when Alexander Fiechtner opened the scoring, however, the match ended in a draw after the knights equalised late.
This was the second week in a row the Cannons have allowed a goal in the second half when leading, Chris Taylor will want to ensure his men don't once again take their foot off the pedal.
Dandenong managed to salvage a draw last week after being 3-1 down in the 80th-minute mark, but they need to ensure they don't leak goals as easily, especially when coming up against the reigning Champions.
Oakleigh claims the bragging rights over Dandenong, beating the Thunder 3-1 at home in round three last season. The teams couldn't be split when they faced each other again in round 16.
COMEBACK: Dandenong Thunder's Mamadi Kamara kickstarts his team. Picture: The Man in the Stands.
South Melbourne v Melbourne Knights
7:30 pm, Monday, 6 March, Lakeside Stadium
Can South continue their winning streak or will the Knights slay the beast?
South Melbourne won their second straight match last week 3-1 over Green Gully to remain on top of the ladder.
Ajak Riak scored a brace in the win, announcing himself as a worthy replacement for reigning Golden Boot winner Harrison Sawyer.
Melbourne Knights are still on the lookout for their first win, following back-to-back draws to start the season. The Knights will be desperate to claim their first three points and will come in with plenty of confidence after a spirited performance against the Cannons last week.
With captain Ivan Franjic (defender) scoring their only goal from open play so far this season, the Knights will be hoping Gian Albano can get on the score sheet this week after a great season last year (12 goals).
When the sides last met in 2022, the Knights were able to overcome South Melbourne 2-1 with Gian Albano scoring the match-winning goal in the 95th minute.