Round 15 of the NPLM season is upon us and there are many big matches to look forward to!
Who will stand up and who will be left searching for answers, as we head into the second half of the season?
Oakleigh Cannons v Melbourne Knights
6:30 pm, Friday 26 May, Jack Edwards Reserve
In Round 14, the Cannons defeated Green Gully on the road, while the Knights took care of St Albans at home.
Both sides come into this clash full of confidence with Oakleigh on a three-match winning streak and the Knights undefeated over their past seven matches.
Oakleigh displayed its midfield depth last week with Oliver Kubilay stepping up in the absence of Joe Guest, while Daniel Clark was also impressive - assisting his side's first goal. If Joe Guest returns to the starting lineup this week, the Knights will need to be wary of his connection with Connor Hampson who he has assisted three times this season - the most of any duo in the competition.
The Knights' midfield has been pivotal in its unbeaten run with Luka Kolic improving every week and scoring his first goal in Round 14. Steve Whyte and Anthony Duzel have created a formidable bond in the middle of the park, recording the most passes between a pair this season. Duzel also proved his creativity last week, providing two assists in the 4-1 win.
Wade Dekker has been on fire of late for Oakleigh, scoring in his past four matches, while Alex Fietchner leads the way with six goals and Connor Hampson isn't too far behind with five. Knights' full-back Josh Phelps will have his hands full but has been in good form alongside Ivan Franjic and Corey Sewell - creating an entertaining battle.
Mo Sumaoro was the Knights' best on the ground last week, creating multiple chances, and will look to add to his tally of four for the season against the Cannons. Ciaran Bramwell and Gian Albano (6 goals) are their biggest scoring threats but getting past defenders Brodie Boyce and Emlyn Wellsmore will be a tough task.
In Round 2, two goals for both sides in the second half secured a 1-1 draw.
Can the Knights leapfrog the Cannons into third place, or will Oakleigh prove they belong in the race for top spot.
Heidelberg United v Hume City
8:30 pm, Friday, 26 May, Olympic Village
Hume City defeated Altona at home in Round 14, and Heidelberg gave up the three points against Dandenong after being in a winning position.
The Bergers delivered a shock defeat to the ladder-leading Avengers last week in their Australia Cup tie but weren't able to carry their momentum over to the NPLM.
Heidelberg will head into this match with confidence, following last week's mid-week heroics, but will need reigning NPLM Gold Medalist Kaine Sheppard to stand up alongside Chris Theodoropoulos - who scored his first goal of the season against the Thunder.
Anthony Lesiotis was Heidelberg's best in defeat, with a dominant game in centre-mid, while Deion Nikolaidis provided the Bergers stability on the left side. It will be an interesting match-up against Michael Boffey who has been amongst the votes in recent weeks and Harley Orr who can play centrally or on the right.
Hume's Josh Bingham (4 goals) will be looking to get back on the score sheet after going goalless in his last four matches. Dylan McGlade will be playing up front and will be another dangerous threat the Heidelberg defense will need to closely monitor.
Despite their firepower, Heidelberg ranks second-last for goals this season and if the Bergers plan on playing in the pointy end of the season, they will need their forwards to click into gear. Hume defenders Ben Bowler, Hayden Tennant, and Harry Monaghan will look to keep the Bergers at bay once again, but Heidelberg will be hoping the likes of Kaine Sheppard, Josh Pinn, or Kenny Athiu can find some form and grab a crucial three points.
The last time Hume traveled to Olympic Village Heidelberg claimed a 3-2 victory thanks to a late Kaine Sheppard winner, however earlier this season the two teams couldn't be split as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Can Heidelberg regain some form, or will Hume continue its promising season?
Hume City's Yagoub Mustafa celebrating his match-winning goal against Altona Magic in Round 14. Picture: Teyfik Baser & BRG Creative
St Albans Saints v Dandenong Thunder
3:00 pm, Saturday, 27 May, Churchill Reserve
Last week, Dandenong came back from a goal down to beat Heidelberg and St Albans was convincingly beaten by the Knights.
The Thunder showed their fighting spirit against the Bergers, scoring two second-half goals to jump into the top six.
Grad Damen (39) ranks in the top two in scoring chances created and was at his best on the weekend with a goal and an assist. His creativity from the back half is supported by Harry Ascroft and Mersim Memeti who will be tasked with containing George Ott and the rest of the St Albans attack.
Ott (5 goals) is the Saints' most dangerous forward this season and leads his side for aerial duels won, while captain Michael Grgic has scored three goals from midfield - two in his past three weeks.
After conceding four goals last week, the Saints' defence led by Shaun Timmins and Chris Dib will be desperate to make amends and keep their side in the game. Goffry Lino (5 goals) has been the Thunder's most potent, while Grad Damen (4 goals), Leo Mazis, and Kieran Dover (3 goals) have also showed signs this season.
St Albans will miss important midfielder Joey Monek this week after he picked up a red card in Round 14.
Dandenong is a high-pressure side this season, having over 30 shots on goal after forcing a turnover, if they are clinical in front of goal their style of play may be too much for the Saints to handle.
St Albans and Dandenong played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in Round 2 this season, with five goals scored in the final 17 minutes.
Will the Thunder remain in the top six or can St Albans get back on track?
Bentleigh Greens v Moreland City
3:00 pm, Saturday, 27 May, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
The Greens won their third game for the season against North Geelong in Round 14, as Moreland City fell to South Melbourne at home.
After overcoming the Warriors last week in a tough match, they face the prospect of back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Head Coach Riccardo Marchioli will be hoping for a consistent effort this week, as his side has suffered the most losses this season after leading at halftime.
Bentleigh's Christos Theodorakopoulos has scored three times in his last five matches, and Manase Abandelwa impressed on the wing last week - scoring a crucial goal. Tom Strickland (1 goal, 2 assists) played more defensively on the weekend, but can also be a weapon in front of the ball.
The Greens will be without Mario Barcia through midfield, after getting a red card last week, leaving Scott Hilliar and Lucas Derrick to shoulder the load, as they come up against Jamie Latham who has been ultra-consistent, and Corey Thomas for Moreland City.
Moreland needs its forwards led by Fletcher Fulton to stand up and manufacture a score this week if they are any chance of getting a result as they have only picked up a single point from its past eight matches and have failed to find the back of the net in its past four matches.
Will Moreland push away from the relegation battle with a win or can Moreland show they have more fight left in them?
Port Melbourne Sharks v North Geelong Warriors
5:30 pm, Saturday, 27 May, JL Murphy Reserve
North Geelong was defeated by Bentleigh in Round 14, while Port Melbourne came home empty-handed from Avenger Park.
Port Melbourne will go into this match as favourites, although North Geelong proved they are no easy-beats last week and will be a challenge for the Sharks. Port's loss to Avondale ended a three-game winning streak and marked the first time this season they were kept goalless.
They will be sweating on the selection of leading goal scorer Chris Duggan (7 goals) after he didn't make the trip to face Avondale last week. After making a splash at the start of the month, Dor Jok (Port Melbourne) has had a quiet patch and will be keen on making amends after scoring an own goal against Avondale last week.
After being dominated in the midfield last week, George Mells will look to set the tone this week along with Anthony Ianchello and Jackson Courtney-Perkins. The Warriors' midfield kept them in the game against the Greens last week, with Charlie Fleming playing a superb game and Nikola Jurkovic and Aden Gardner also notable.
Port Melbourne will be confident the likes of Jalil Regague and Ross Archibald can control their back half with Luke Zivcic and Aden Gardner the only multiple-goal scores for the Warriors this season.
North Geelong has had an impressive month, including defeating St Albans and only falling one goal short of South Melbourne and Bentleigh (last week), but can they top it off with a shock win over Port Melbourne?
Altona Magic v Avondale
6:15 pm, Saturday, 27 May, Paisley Park
Avondale picked up its 12th win of the season over Port Melbourne last week as Altona was defeated by Hume City.
The Avengers are back on track following their Round 12 loss to South Melbourne, winning their past two matches.
Altona's Cian Cuba, Charlie Leech, and Justin Micallef face the tough task of containing the lethal Avondale midfield of Dillon Jakupi, Kristian Trajceski, and Yitay Towns who have been a class above this season, helping their side rank first for passing accuracy over the first 14 rounds.
Cian Cuba (2 goals, 4 assists) has linked up with Tommy Semmy for 13+ scoring chances this season although none have resulted in goals, could this be the week the pair finish off their hard work?
Altona has relied on striker Jonas Markovski (7 goals) and winger Semmy (5 goals) to shoulder the load up forward, perhaps Josh Markovski or Robert Harding could step up this week and provide another option.
Avondale has so many weapons, boasting a scary 39-goal difference, with Oakleigh the next best with 23. Zander Guy has been on fire of late, directly being involved in five goals in his last five matches (4 goals, 1 assist), including two goals against Bentleigh two weeks ago.
Winger Stefan Zinni currently leads the NPLM with eight goals, while Manny Aguek (7 goals) and Liam Boland (6 goals) will prove to be a handful for Altona.
In their previous encounter this season, Avondale defeated the Magic 3-0 with Yousef Ahmed scoring a brace.
Can Tommy Semmy or Jonas Markovski produce something special or will we witness win #13 for the ladder-leaders?
South Melbourne v Green Gully
4:00 pm, Saturday, 28 May, Lakeside Stadium
South Melbourne continues to stay in touch with the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Moreland last week and Green Gully suffered its third loss in a row against Oakleigh.
After a promising start to the season, the Cavaliers find themselves out of the top six and in desperate need of a big win over last year's grand finalists.
Green Gully was missing important midfielder Luc Jeggo from last week's loss, and if he is absent again it will heighten the importance of Josh Hope (7 goals, 2 assists), Gianluca Iannucci (1 goal, 6 assists) and Tyler Vecchio (2 goals, 1 assist).
South's midfield has been terrific this season, giving their forwards plenty of chances on goal with 36 penalty area entries per game for the first 13 rounds, second to only Oakleigh.
Forward Ajak Riak will be hard to stop this week, having scored at least one goal in four of his last five appearances. Max Mikkola has been just as electric with seven goals and four assists for the season.
Despite scoring one goal in their past three matches, Green Gully's forwards can't be underestimated with Pierce Waring (who didn't play in Round 14) still leading the league with eight goals, Josh Hope is as dangerous as it comes from the midfield and Alan Gerez has scored four goals for the season predominantly off the bench.
South Melbourne came away with all three points in their last meeting, with Ajak Riak scoring a brace.
Can Green Gully flick the switch with victory over South Melbourne?