With four matches remaining in the NPL 2 Victoria season, Western United travels to face Brunswick Juventus on Friday night with the race for promotion going down to the wire.
United’s Junior Academy sides will all head on the road with each team looking to continue to build in the top half of their respective competitions.
Match Details
NPL 2 Victoria Round 23
Brunswick Juventus vs Western United
Friday, 21 July
Kick-off: 6:30pm AEST (Under 21’) 8:30pm AEST (Under 23’s)
CB Smith Reserve, Fawkner
Last time out
Western United bounced back from defeat against Melbourne City with a strong showing against Langwarrin SC last week, securing a 2-0 win at home at City Vista.
Luke Vickery continued his breakout season with a fourth goal at Under 23 level before Max Bisetto converted a penalty, placing him level atop the golden boot rankings with 12 strikes for the season.
Captain Zac Kocankovski was sent off after picking up two yellow cards and will miss this match, but his teammates will look to make it two wins in a row and move into the automatic promotion places with three matches remaining.
United’s Under 21’s ensured it was a perfect day, romping to an 8-2 win after a six-goal second half put Langwarrin to the sword.
Alessio Centaro scored his first two goals for the Club as six other individual goal scorers completed the rout, ensuring Vaughan Coveny’s side remains three points behind Melbourne City at the top of the table.
The Opponent
Brunswick Juventus come into this clash in top form and will be eager to cause Western United problems as they seek to distance themselves from the relegation equation.
An unbeaten run of six matches which included four wins was ended only by a 3-1 defeat to second-placed Dandenong City last week, a chain of results that has propelled the side up to 12th place.
Brunswick Juventus gave United a tough challenge in April, with Matthew Grimaldi’s sole strike earning the Green and Black a narrow 1-0 win on that occasion.
Having moved away from the bottom two places, which bring about automatic relegation to NPL 3, Brunswick Juventus will be eager for another win to leap out of the play-off positions as well.
Western United Junior Academy head on the road
Western United’s Junior Academy teams will hit the road on Sunday, looking to pick up maximum points and build momentum heading into the run-in to the season’s end.
The Under 14’s will be in action first with an early kick-off against Box Hill United before the Under 15’s follow the senior sides in taking on Brunswick Juventus.
The Under 16’s go to Whittlesea Ranges while the Under 18’s face Bendigo City, with a win set to see all four teams rise up their respective league tables if they should all be successful.
Western United Junior Academy Match Details
JBNPL 1 Round 14
Sunday, 23 July
Under 14’s: Box Hill United vs Western United, 10:00am, Wembley Park
Under 15’s: Brunswick Juventus vs Western United, 11:45am, De Chene Reserve
Under 16’s: Whittlesea Ranges vs Western United, 1:15pm, Harvest Home Recreation Reserve
Under 18’s: Bendigo City vs Western United, 3:00pm, Epsom Huntley Recreation Reserve
Calder United hosts FV Emerging as Finals race heats up
Calder United broke into the top four for the first time this season with a 6-0 drubbing of Heidelberg United last week and will look to remain in the finals places when FV Emerging come to Keilor Park Recreation Reserve.
The sides played out a tight 1-1 draw earlier in the season, but Calder is a vastly improved side from then and will be looking to make it five wins in the last six matches.
Raquel Deralas has scored 11 goals in eight matches and will be eager to find the back of the net again as Calder seeks to shore up a finals place with four matches remaining.
Calder’s Under 19’s will face a difficult challenge against the unbeaten NTC U17’s but will be eager for three points as the side aims to jump into second place.
Match Details
NPLW Victoria Round 19
Calder United vs FV Emerging
Saturday, 22 July
Kick-off: 3:00pm (Senior’s), 5:00pm (Under 19’s)
Keilor Park Recreation Reserve, Keilor Park
Broadcast: The Senior’s match will be streamed live and free on NPL.tv
Calder United face long journey to meet Southern United
All four of Calder United’s junior teams sit in fourth place on their respective league tables, and each side will be out to consolidate those positions when they travel to take on Southern United.
Southern are just above Calder in third place in the Under 17’s division while Calder has supremacy on the table in the other two competitions.
Calder United Junior’s Match Details
Sunday, 22 July
Southern United vs Calder United
Kick-off times: 12:30pm (Under 13’s and Under 15’s), 2:00pm (Under 17’s)
Selandra Recreation Reserve, Cranbourne East
