There were huge games galore across Western United and Calder United’s fixture list in NPL Victoria action this weekend.
Western United’s Senior sides faced Kingston City in a top of the table blockbuster while the junior sides faced Melbourne City, and Calder United took on South Melbourne in a crunch match in the finals race.
Western United NPL 2 Men’s Senior’s
Western United 4-1 Kingston City
Goal scorer: O.Lavale (9’, 45+1), M.Bisetto (24’), L.Vickery (64’)
Western United’s Under 23’s prepared for arguably the biggest match of the season as first-placed Kingston City came to City Vista with significant promotion permutations in play.
Diogo Ferreira’s side rose to the occasion and was off on its way inside the opening 10 minutes when Oliver Lavale got on the end of Matthew Grimaldi’s slide-rule pass and applied a deadly finish into the bottom left corner.
Michael Vonja made a couple of important saves at the other end to maintain the lead but, for the most part, United was in control throughout the first half and it was only a matter of time until the lead multiplied.
Max Bisetto started and finished a sumptuous team move in the 24th minute, winning the ball in the centre circle before bursting forward and dropping the ball off to Grimaldi with a deft heel flick.
Grimaldi took over and within four blistering touches, the ball was in the back of the net – Grimaldi, Lavale, Grimaldi, Bisetto, goal.
Lavale saw a couple of chances go astray but he wasn’t to be denied on the stroke of half-time when Bisetto headed Grimaldi’s corner back across goal and into his path, giving the winger the simple task of prodding the ball into the net.
Kingston City looked to respond in the second half and did so early on as, despite a brilliant save from Vonja prior, Paul Kuol leapt to head home from a corner.
United kept its composure and eventually wrestled back the momentum, allowing Grimaldi to cap off a scintillating display with a hat-trick of assists.
It was another perfectly threaded through ball, this time to send substitute Luke Vickery in on goal to round the goalkeeper and roll the ball home.
That burst Kingston’s bubble heading into the final 25 minutes and Ferreira’s sigde was able to coast to a massive three points.
The win shoots United up to second in the table, above Kingston, with two matches to go. The Green and Black can now secure promotion to NPL Victoria with two wins in the final two fixtures.
Western United NPL 2 Men’s Under 21’s
Western United 8-0 Kingston City
Goal scorer: A.Centaro (15’), C.Dovison (24’), A.Iedom (31’, 55’, 81’), C.Dermentzoglou (67’), O.Tanic (77), A.Hird (79’)
Whether or not they are able to catch Melbourne City at the top of the table, Western United’s Under 21’s are intent on ending the season in style.
In just his fifth game for the Club, Alessio Centaro scored his fifth goal to get the ball rolling against Kingston City before Campbell Dovison added a second and Ahmed Iedom a third before half-time.
Iedom would go on to complete a hat-trick to end the rout while Alex Hird also found the net for his fourth goal of the campaign.
The other two goal scorers provided special stories for the day, being the first goals at Under-21 level for Christian Dermentzoglou and Oscar Tanic.
Dermentzoglou has risen through the ranks after starting the season in the Under 16’s squad, while Oscar Tanic has quickly earned promotion from the Under 18’s after joining United partly through the season.
That all made for a joint-biggest win of the season for Vaughan Coveny’s side as it keeps the pressure on City at the summit heading into the final two weeks.
Western United Junior Academy teams
Western United took on Melbourne City in JBNPL 1 action, welcoming the fellow A-Leagues side to Alcock Road Reserve in the heart of the West.
Winston Ashburner scored twice and Jordan Vonja also scored as the Under 14’s recorded a 3-1 win to start the day. Both United players share the lead in the golden boot race with 10 goals across the campaign.
United’s Under 15’s triumphed 3-0 on the back of a brace from Matthew Di Lorenzo while the Under 16’s came away 2-1 victors – Anderson Back and Karl Leban the goal scorers.
It was down to the Under 18’s then to secure United’s first perfect weekend of the year, and they did exactly that.
Despite going 1-0 down, Max Clarke’s side picked up a big three points thanks to goals from, remarkably, Tanic and Dermentzoglou just a day after their exploits with the Under 21’s.
All four of United’s junior sides remain in the top five of their respective leagues, including the Under 18’s who sit in second place, just four points off Melbourne Victory.
Western United Junior Academy scores
Under 14’s
Western United 3-1 Melbourne City
Goal scorers: J.Vonja (9’), W.Ashburner (36’, p.59’)
Under 15’s
Western United 3-0 Melbourne City
Goal scorers: M.Di Lorenzo (38’, 59’), N.Emtsis (61’)
Under 16’s
Western United 2-1 Melbourne City
Goal scorer: A.Back (36’), K.Leban (54’)
Under 18’s
Western United 2-1 Melbourne City
Goal scorer: O.Tanic (55’), C.Dermentzoglou (75’)
Calder United NPLW Senior’s
Calder United 2-0 South Melbourne
Goal scorer: K.Hieda (84’, 89’)
For the third match in a row, Keiwa Hieda stole the show as Calder United secured a massive victory against South Melbourne in NPLW Victoria.
Calder’s star attacker came into the game having scored twice in each of her last two outings, and there was to be no stopping Hieda once again when her team needed her most.
With the match remaining goalless inside the final 10 minutes, Hieda took over to score two brilliant solo goals and give her side the three points.
The first came after a devastating turn and near-post finish from Raquel Deralas’ pass and the second followed a rapid run down the right-hand side as she latched onto Larissa Walsh’s through ball, burned a defender and slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Calder’s defence was resolute throughout the contest and held on to a fourth consecutive clean sheet in all competitions, with Julia Sardo making her return off the bench and Alyssa Dall’Oste also playing the entire second half in goal.
The win shaved Calder’s deficit to South Melbourne to just one point, while top two sides Boroondara-Carey Eagles and FC Bulleen Lions also lost their matches, meaning Calder sits just five points back from top spot.
Calder United Under 19’s
Calder United 2-2 South Melbourne
Goal scorers: M.Cucinotta (12’), S.Cappola (81’)
Calder United’s Under 19’s were in an identical scenario to the Senior’s, looking to defeat South Melbourne and move to within a point of their opponents on the league table.
Mikaela Cucinotta got the side off to the perfect start with an early goal but South Melbourne responded to level things up before half-time.
Sienna Cappola’s third goal of the season looked like it might prove the winner in the 81st minute but South had other ideas, equalising almost immediately and holding on to ensure both sides left with a point each.
Heidelberg United’s win saw them jump Calder into third on the table with teams fighting for prime position in the finals ahead of the final two regular season rounds.
Calder United junior girls
It was a festival of football in Keilor Park as Calder United’s three junior teams also played at home, taking on Alamein FC.
The Under 13’s were on fire as a pair of braces from Achol Taban and Danijela Trncic led the team on its way to an 8-0 thrashing, while the Under 15’s were held to a 0-0 draw.
The Under 17’s rounded out the day for the junior sides with a 2-0 triumph thanks to goal in either half from Leah Presilski and Charlize Stefanovski.
Calder United junior’s scores
Under 13’s: Calder United 8-0 Alamein FC
Goal scorer: A.Taban (4’, 7’), E.Colosimo (21’), D.Trncic (24’, 29’), S.Tanarte-Crook (25’), S.Muraca (37’), G.Florey (42’)
Under 15’s: Calder United 0-0 Alamein FC
Under 17’s: Calder United 2-0 Alamein FC
Goal scorers: L.Presilski (25’), C.Stefanovski (67’)
