After four weeks of action, the NPL Victoria Men’s (NPLM) table is starting to take shape. In Round 5, we look ahead to another big week of top-tier action.
Check out all the upcoming action below.
Bentleigh Greens v Dandenong Thunder
7:30 pm, Friday 17 March, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Will the Greens finally claim their first points in 2023?
Despite a more spirited performance in Round 4, Bentleigh remains winless at the bottom of the NPLM table.
The struggling side fell to the Knights 1-0 last weekend, with only a penalty kick separating the two sides. High squad turnover and a new coach suggested the Greens may take some time to settle into the new campaign, but nerves will start to creep in if they once again fail to pick-up a point.
The task of stopping the dangerous Thunder attack has been made much harder this week with Greens' captain Ben Carrington being shown a red card against the Knights for taking Brian Summerskill down in the box, resulting in the game-deciding penalty.
After starting the season with a win on the road against Heidelberg and a thrilling draw against St Albans, the Thunder have suffered consecutive close losses to the Oakleigh Cannons and South Melbourne.
The silver lining for George Andrews faithful is that despite the back-to-back losses, their club pushed the league's top two sides all the way.
Dandenong will also have a defender missing through suspension with Sevdim Ismaili suspended after he was handed a straight red for a dangerous tackle against South.
In Round 22 last season, the two sides were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw after Ajak Riak (now at South Melbourne) scored a second-half brace for Bentleigh.
South Melbourne v Heidelberg
7:30 pm, Friday 17 March, Lakeside Stadium
Can Heidelberg bounce back after their Oakleigh hiding?
South Melbourne continues to go from strength to strength in 2023, with a perfect start of four wins from four.
The squad's new signings have slotted in impressively with Riak, Sulemani and Painter-Andrews all getting off to strong starts at Lakeside Stadium, complementing the team's returning stars.
One of which, Javi Lopez, has hit the ground running again this campaign after winning keeper of the year in 2022. Named in the Round 4 team of the week, his shot-stopping and leadership has been a key factor in his side's undefeated run.
In last week's game against the Thunder, Pat Langlois once again ended up being the difference, scoring his third goal of the season in the 1-0 win.
On the opposite end of the table, Heidelberg is yet to fire in 2023. The Bergers suffered a 5-0 humbling against the Cannons last week, made worse by the fact that they played 30 mins with an extra man after Joe Guest was sent off in the 24th minute. Deion Nikolaidis' red card came when the damage was already done, but his sending off will mean he misses the clash against South.
Despite Heidelberg's tough start to season 2023, the squad is full of talent and there will be extra motivation going into the derby this weekend in form of two enormous milestones.
Head Coach George Katsakis will lead his side for a record-breaking 350th time against South Melbourne. Captain Adrian Zahra will also play his 150th match for the club.
Having only scored once so far this season, the Bergers will need to find an extra gear to trouble the league leaders. but with Kaine Sheppard and Kenny Athiu up forward the quality is certainly there.
Heidelberg claimed the three points the last time the sides met in Round 15 last season with Ivan Franjic (now Melbourne Knights) scoring the winner in the 80th minute.
Avondale v Moreland City
3:15 pm, Saturday 18 March, Avenger Park
Can Moreland upset the in-form Avengers?
Avondale won their third match in a row in Round 4, defeating North Geelong 4-1 on the road.
Kristian Trajceski has led the way this season, netting four goals and dominating the middle of the pitch. Joey Katebian has also played himself into form in recent weeks, while Stefan Zinni appears to be found his scoring touch, most notably finding the net from long range and earning himself the NPLM Round 4 Goal of the Week.
Moreland continues their impressive run to start the season, picking up a point against Altona in Round 4.
Midfielders Jamie Latham and Michael Tzoutzids stood up for Moreland in the second half, wrestling back momentum to help their side score a late equaliser.
Despite Christos Theodorakopoulos getting on the scoresheet for the second-straight week, Moreland will look much more dangerous with the addition of striker Fletcher Fulton following his red card in Round 3.
North Geelong Warriors v Hume City
5:00 pm, Saturday 18 March, Elcho Park
Can Hume claim their first win of the season?
Hume remains on the hunt for their first three points of the season and took a step forward in their 1-1 draw against the red-hot St Albans in Round 4.
After going down to ten men in only the second minute Hume was able to regain their composure, even going up 1-0 before St Albans scored an equaliser.
Following his infraction against St Albans, Hayden Tennant will miss this weekend's clash, leaving a gap in the defence.
After a promising start to the season, North Geelong lost their third game in a row last weekend, outclassed by Avondale 4-1.
Midfielders Nikola Jurkovic and Marvin Brauweiler were shining lights in their heavy defeat in Round 4 and will play a major part in the result against Hume.
Hume City captain Harry Monaghan in Round 4.
Port Melbourne v Melbourne Knights
5:30 pm, Saturday 18 March, JL Murphy Reserve
Port Melbourne will be desperate to bounce back following a 3-2 loss against Green Gully.
A lapse in concentration last week allowed a fast break and Luc Jeggo to set up Pierce Waring for the winning header against the Sharks.
Luca Tevere, who already scored on the night had a chance to even things up in the last minute of the game but his powerful strike fell straight to the keeper.
The Sharks midfield, who all sat on a yellow cards late in the game looked out of run and will want to make a statement this week against the Knights.
Following a tough run of matches, the Knights returned to the winner's list against Bentleigh last week with Corey Sewell and Steve Whyte dominating the midfield battle.
Gian Albano was cool and composed as he slotted through the winning penalty, with Ciaran Bramwell looking dangerous all match.
The Knights have looked settled, however, will be tested against the talented Port Melbourne attack. Josh Phelps had a standout game last weekend supported by captain Ivan Franjic.
Port Melbourne won the battle between the two sides in Rond 26 last season, claiming a 2-0 victory.
Altona Magic v Green Gully
6:15 pm, Saturday, 18 March, Paisley Park
Can Green Gully make it three wins in a row?
After back-to-back losses to start the season against South and Oakleigh, Green Gully has managed to get its season back on track.
The Cavaliers managed to defeat Port Melbourne last week after Luc Jeggo streamed onto a long ball to set up Pierce Waring for the winning header.
Josh Hope and Jeggo were influential as always and defenders Jordon Lampard and Taylor Schrijvers made it hard for Port Melbourne all day.
Altona Magic backed up their victory over North Geelong in Round 3 with a 1-1 draw against an impressive Moreland City outfit.
If Green Gully can contain Jonas Markovski they will go a long to claim victory, as the striker has scored every goal (three) for the Magic so far this season.
The last time Altona hosted Green Gully, the visitors claimed all three points in a dominant 4-0 victory.
Jonas Markovski scoring for the Magic in Round 4. Picture: MP Images.
St Albans v Oakleigh Cannons
5:00 pm, Sunday, 18 March, Churchill Reserve
How will St Albans cope without George Ott?
St Albans have been the surprise packet so far this season, sitting fourth heading into Round 5.
NPLM leading goal scorer George Ott will miss the match after being shown a red card against Hume City in Round 4. The spearhead has hit the ground running in 2023 and been a key reason for the Saints early season success.
Despite their impressive start, the Saints are yet to face a team inside the top seven so this will undoubtedly be their toughest test to date.
Defending champions Oakleigh is one of three teams to remain undefeated heading into Round 5 and will look for a third win in a row this weekend.
Last week, the Cannons smashed Heidelberg 5-0 with Alex Salmon leading the charge up front, while substitute Chris Lucas also scored two late goals.
Cameron McGilp has transitioned the Thunder seamlessly, slotting into the middle of the ground alongside the likes of Stefan Valentini and Joe Guest who will miss this week after being given a red card in Round 4.
The defending champs will need to be at their best this week as St Albans defeated the Cannons the last time they met in Round 25 last season. After conceding early, James Temelkovski ended up being the hero for the Saints, scoring a 96-minute winner.