NPL Victoria Men's Round 12 action continues this weekend with several pulsating clashes set to take place.
Oakleigh Cannons v North Geelong Warriors
8:30 pm, Friday 5 May, Jack Edwards Reserve
North Geelong will be full of momentum heading into this clash, after claiming its first win in two months, while the Cannons will be looking to rebound after going down 4-2 to the ladder-leading Avondale.
Oakleigh has had an even spread of goal-kickers this season, with Wade Dekker stepping up last week against Avondale, scoring two goals. Connor Hampson (5 goals) has scored the most goals for the Cannons so far this season with Alex Fiechtner and Daniel Clark not far behind with four.
Defender Charlie Fleming was best on the ground last week for the Warriors and will need to play another great game if North Geelong is going to keep the dangerous Oakleigh attack at bay.
The Warriors have been hit hard with injuries of late, forcing Steve Fidele to play as a utility while Marvin Brauweiler has also held his own in the backline.
Oakleigh may be able to get on top of the Warriors through the midfield with the likes of Joe Guest and Stefan Valentini potentially proving too much to handle. Aden Gardner and Nikola Jurkovic have had an impressive fortnight for North Geelong and will do their best this week to limit the Cannons' weapons in midfield.
With North Geelong putting a number of impressive performances together, will they be able to cause the upset or will the Cannons recapture form?
Heidelberg United v Green Gully
8:30 pm, Friday 5 May, Olympic Village
Green Gully won its sixth game for the season last week against Dandenong, while Heidelberg claimed a point against Moreland in a scrappy contest at Olympic Village.
Green Gully's midfield duo of Josh Hope and Luc Jeggo will be hard to stop after once again playing a huge role in getting their side over the line against the Thunder, scoring three goals between them.
The Heidelberg midfield of Ajdin Fetahagic, Deion Nikolaidis and even Kaine Sheppard haven't looked likely in recent weeks and will need to sharpen up if they are going to claim victory.
Green Gully's scoring power may prove too much for the Bergers as they have the second-best attacking record this season, headlined by Golden Boot leader Pierce Waring (8 goals), while Heidelberg has only found the back of the net 12 times in its 11 matches.
Gully defender Jordan Lampard has been amongst the best on numerous occasions this season and will have his hands full with Heidelberg's talented, yet, out-of-form forward line.
After scoring 15 goals last season, reigning Gold Medal winner Kaine Sheppard only has one goal to his name, while off-season recruits Kenny Athiu and Jamie Wilson are yet to get off the mark.
The Cavaliers defeated the Bergers 2-1 when they faced off in Round 24 last season, Luc Jeggo and Gianluca Iannucci scored in the win.
Green Gully has enjoyed a positive start to the season, but can they further break Heidelberg's spirits with back-to-back wins?
Green Gully's Josh Hope celebrating one of his Round 11 goals against the Dandenong Thunder. Picture: Paul Crossley
Bentleigh Greens v Altona Magic
3:00 pm, Saturday 6 May, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Bentleigh narrowly lost to Port Melbourne last weekend, while Altona was taught a footballing lesson by South Melbourne.
Bentleigh midfielder Tom Strickland played brilliantly last week, earning a Team of the Week (TOTW) nomination, and will have his work cut out for him against the likes of Ashton Ahluwalia and Josh Markovski.
Forward Tommy Semmy has been on fire of late, scoring in four out of his last five matches and will most certainly cause Greens' defenders some sleepless nights in the lead-up to their clash. On the other end of the pitch, Mario Barcia and Mitch Rooke are the only Bentleigh players to score multiple goals this season.
Christian Rossi pulled off some unbelievable saves last week, earning a spot in the TOTW alongside Bentleigh defender Alec Mills who put in a big game against Port Melbourne last week.
When the two sides last met (Round 24, 2022) Altona defeated Bentleigh at Paisley Park, but both teams went away with a point when they faced off at Kingston Heath earlier in the season.
Port Melbourne v Hume City
5:30 pm, Saturday 6 May, JL Murphy Reserve
These two sides are neck and neck this season, with Port Melbourne (6th) only one point ahead of Hume City (7th) in a match-up that could help shape the top six.
The Sharks were able to rebound from two consecutive defeats to overcome Bentleigh 2-1, while their opponents came away with a 1-1 draw against the Knights.
Port Melbourne's Jackson Courtney-Perkins and George Mells have been terrific so far this season through midfield and their battle against the likes of Mark Ochieng and Ben Bowler will go a long way in determining this contest.
Dylan McGlade has been one of Hume's best of late, making the Round 8 and 11 TOTW, and will likely play another major role in this week's match.
Goalkeeper Rory Brian has been impressive for Hume and will need to be ready with Port Melbourne's attack one the best in the league with Chris Duggan (5 goals), Luka Tevere (4 goals) and Valil Vesnik (4 goals) all capable of dominating the play.
Winger Jawad Rezai has been Hume's most prolific in front goal with five for the season, while Bingham has found the back of the net four times.
Hume City defeated Port Melbourne 2-1 in Round 15 last season with Alex Walter scoring the winning goal.
Dandenong Thunder v Melbourne Knights
7:15 pm, Saturday 6 May, George Andrews Reserve
There's plenty on the line for both the Dandenong Thunder and Melbourne Knights in Round 12, as the two prepare to face-off on Saturday night.
After recording back-to-back wins, the Thunder's momentum was halted last week as they conceded three first half goals en route to a 4-2 defeat against Green Gully.
In ninth place with 13 points from 11 games, the Club will be desperate to bounce back against the Knights and break free from the midtable logjam.
The Knights backline will have to be weary of Dandenong's unpredictability in the final third. Six players have already scored multiple goals in 2023, led by Geoffrey Lino who has four to his name.
Adding to the offensive versatility the Thunder side has plenty of creativity from the midfield. Dutch import Grad Damen has created 32 scoring chances in the 2023 NPL Victoria season, more than any other player in the competition.
But to truly trouble the Knights, Dandenong will need to address its defensive troubles. The side hasn't kept a clean sheet since Round 5 and has conceded an average of 2.4 goals per game - the fourth worst defensive record in the league.
The eyes of Gian Albano (5 goals, 2 assists) and Ciaran Bramwell (4 goals) will light up at that statistic, as the pair have been a constant threat for opposition defences.
A last gasp equaliser from Hume City's Hayden Tennant denied the Knights victory last week as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw, but the Somers Street faithful will be confident following a terrific run of form.
The Knights have been on a tear in the NPLM Victoria, having picked up a 19 of a possible 24 points in the last eight Rounds.
There is style to the substance too. Short passing and ball retention has been a trademark of the Knights this season, with the team having logged 99 sequences of 10+ passes - more than any other team.
The string of results has catapulted the Knights into fourth position and although still early days, the club could be a major player at the business end of the season.
Melbourne Knights captain Ivan Franjic on the ball in Round 11.
St Albans Saints v Moreland City
3:00 pm, Sunday, 7 April, Churchill Reserve
A huge three points is up for grabs at Churchill Reserve, as St Albans and Moreland nervously look over their shoulder at the relegation zone.
The home side comes into the clash off the back of a brutal run of six straight defeats. The latest, a 1-0 defeat to North Geelong means St Albans go into this match in 12th place, only outside of the drop zone on goal difference.
The Saints have just the one win to their name, a Round 3 victory over Heidelberg and will be desperate to ignite their season before losing too much ground.
George Ott endeared himself to Saints fans early in the season but has been somewhat of a lone gun up forward. The wiry striker has five goals so far in 2023 and has shouldered the offensive load.
The Saints will undoubtedly have to find more contributors in the final third to resurrect their season and this may provide the perfect opportunity to do it.
Last week's 0-0 draw against Heidelberg was an aberration for Moreland who are almost exclusively involved in high-scoring shootouts.
City have conceded 31 goals in 11 matches this season, the most of any team but have also had success in finding the net with 16 of their own.
With Ukuno, Hooper and Fulton all capable of finding the net on their day, the key to the game might lie in the hands of Birhan Elibol.
Playing in the heart of Moreland's defence, the centre back will likely have the role on George Ott in in a matchup which will be crucial to determine who gets the points.
Although early in the season the match feels like a genuine six pointer. Moreland sit just one place above the Saints on nine points and are searching for a first win since Round 6.
South Melbourne v Avondale
4:00 pm, Sunday, 7 May, Lakeside Stadium
It doesn't get much better than this. The two standout teams of 2023 will meet in a top of the table showdown at Lakeside Stadium this Sunday.
South Melbourne will relish the opportunity to inflict Avondale's first loss of the season while bridging the current three-point gap that exists between the side.
The only slight on South this season had been a lack of scoring power, but Esteban Quintas' side have silenced the critics in recent weeks. South Melbourne only managed 11 goals in their first 9 games - since then, they've scored 10 in the last fortnight.
This ruthless edge in the final third with delight Esteban Quintas, with Max Mikkola, Ajak Riak and Alun Webb all starting to find their groove in season 2023.
The club's biggest strength this season has clearly been its defensive structure. Anchored by Javi Lopez, Lirim Elmazi and Jake Marshall, South have only conceded eight goals all season.
So what will happen when NPLM Victoria's best defence comes up against its most potent attack?
Coming off of an impressive 4-2 victory against third placed Oakleigh, Avondale have scored 44 goals in 11 matches. The side is simply scoring for fun - and everyone is getting in the action.
Aguek (7), Boland (6), Guy (4) and Ahmed (4) have all been immense, while the dynamic Stefan Zinni is well and truly back to his best with 8 goals and a host of assists so far this season.
With so many players starring, the ironclad South Melbourne defence will have to pay special notice of Kristian Trajceski on Sunday. The midfield ace has scored four goals of his own this season and leads the league in assists.
With the Avengers looking to pull clear at the top of the table and South Melbourne fighting to keep pace, all eyes will be on Lakeside on Sunday afternoon.