Western United brought the 2023 NPL Victoria season to a perfect ending this weekend with all four Junior Academy teams winning their final matches of the season.
With the Senior Academy and Calder United seasons wrapped up, United’s JBNPL squads rounded out a big year for the Green and Black.
Western United Under 14’s
Malvern City 0-1 Western United
Goal scorer: D.Caracciolo (34’)
Needing a win to hold onto a top three spot in the league, Western United’s Under 14’s got the job done in a tough contest against Malvern City.
With the two sides locked at 0-0 heading into the half-time break, Damian Caracciolo popped up with the vital goal just after the interval.
United continued to press on for more goals while the defensive line remained resolute to keep out any advances from Malvern, expertly holding onto a clean sheet.
Malvern were reduced to 10 players right at the end of the match and the Green and Black saw out the win to end the season in third place on the table.
Jordan Vonja and Winston Ashburner both ended the season on 10 goals, just one behind a trio of players that were the joint winners of the league golden boot.
Western United Under 15’s
Malvern City 1-4 Western United
Goal scorers: L.Caputo (11’), A.Borek (18’), M.Di Lorenzo (64’), W.Ashburner (67’)
United’s Under 15’s found themselves in an identical scenario to the Under 14’s, with a win over Malvern City clinching an impressive top three position in the division.
The Green and Black got off to a fast start when Lucas Caputo and Adam Borek struck seven minutes apart before Malvern threatened a comeback after pulling a goal back before half-time.
Western United moved to kill the game off in the second half with another double salvo, this time from Matthew Di Lorenzo and Ashburner, who scored his fourth goal for the Under 15’s to go along with his 10 in the Under 14’s division.
Di Lorenzo’s goal affirmed his position as United’s top goal scorer for the season, finding the net 14 times which placed him equal third in the competition.
Western United Under 16’s
Malvern City 0-7 Western United
Goal scorers: E.Robinson (3’, 20’, 38’), S.Maden Limbu (19’), M.Di Lorenzo (47’), M.Lettieri (55’), K.Leban (77’)
Western United’s Under 16’s went out with a bang, slamming seven past Malvern City in a clinical display to conclude the campaign.
United finished only one spot above Malvern on the league table but that proximity was not demonstrated on match day as the Green and Black got straight to work.
Ethan Robinson hit a hat-trick within the first half and Sewalung Maden Limbu added a fourth before the break, but United wasn’t finished there.
Remarkably, Di Lorenzo scored on his Under 16’s debut after finding the net for the Under 15’s just prior. Micheal Lettieri and Karl Leban rounded out the dominant display with the final two goals.
It was a season full of ups and downs for the Under 16’s, finishing in seventh place while scoring 50 goals over the 22 matches.
Western United Under 18’s
Eltham Redbacks 2-7 Western United
Goal scorers: L.Grundy (3’), Y.Oo (13’), A.Marmura (32’), M.Imrek (45’), G.Aldieri (55’), O.Tanic (63’, 70’)
Not to know what the Under 16’s had pulled off being at a different venue, The Under 18’s did their best to pull off the result of the weekend.
Lachlan Grundy and Yasar Oo scored inside 13 minutes to get United out into a commanding position against Eltham Redbacks and although the hosts scored soon after, Alex Marmura and Michael Imrek ensured United were well in control by half-time.
Three goals in a 15-minute spell – one from Gabriel Aldieri and a brace from Oscar Tanic – kept the rout going to match the goal tally of the Under 16’s for the weekend.
That result capped off an impressive season for the Under 18’s who registered a club-best second place finish with 46 points.
