Check out all the highlights from an action-packed weekend of NPL and VPL football

There were plenty of wonderful goals, controversial moments and eye-catching performances.

South Melbourne cemented itself at the top of the NPL ladder, while Northcote City and Malvern City sit pretty in VPL1 and 2.

Check out all the highlights from an action-packed weekend.

JAPAN v JAPAN

There was late drama in St Albans’ clash with Avondale on Friday night as opposing Japanese players clashed. Just minutes after giving Avondale a 3-1 lead in the 75th minute, Seita Murai and his Saints rival Atsushi Inoue were both shown straight red cards. With Dinamo awarded a free kick, Inoue shaped to take the kick, only for Murai to cynically step in front of the ball. Inoue kicked the ball into Murai, sparking first a clash between the two before a larger push-and-shove broke out. A St Albans fan also throws a water bottle at the Avondale player. Referee Ugur Arslan showed both Japanese straight red cards. Murai’s goal proved decisive as the Avengers claimed a 3-2 win at Churchill Reserve. Max Green and Bruno Fornaroli scored within three minutes of each other to give Avondale a two-goal lead at half-time. Josh Gulevski pulled one back for St Albans in the 52nd. Murai restored the two-goal buffer in the 75th and Gulevski scored with the last kick of the game in the 94th.

SOUTH ROMP

South Melbourne sits atop the NPL Victoria ladder after a stunning 3-0 takedown of Preston Lions on Saturday. It takes a lot to quieten the terraces at BT Connor Reserve but Hellas did just that with a clinical showing. Such was the importance of the clash, South rolled out its first choice XI, despite having a OFC Pro League top-of-the-table clash against Auckland in Fiji the following day. After a scoreless first-half, Campbell Dovison broke the deadlock with a special goal in the 56th minute. Stepping in from the right, the Australia Under-17s representative curled the ball perfectly inside the left post. Five minutes later Max Mikkola doubled the visitors’ lead. A short-corner saw Mikkola charge into the area unchecked and he caught Lions goalkeeper Ryan Scott off his near post, smashing the ball into the back of the net. A Jamal Ali own goal completed the romp, the Lions defender turning a Nahuel Bonada cross into his own net. The win sees South move three points clear at the top, while Preston sits ninth.

MAGIC STUN BERGERS

Even the top clubs rarely take points away from Olympic Village. Altona Magic snatched a point in the most dramatic of finishes on Saturday afternoon. Centre-back Garang Arou scored in the 94th minute to secure a 2-2 draw with Heidelberg United. Arou was all alone at the back post, heading home Owen McCloskey’s pin-point cross in the final seconds to stun the reigning premier. Jay McGowan had given the Warriors a 19th minute lead, putting away a rebound after Fletcher Fulton had smashed his shot into the upright. However, Peter Hatzopoulos levelled the scores on the brink of half-time after United goalkeeper Yaren Sozer’s weak parry landed at his feet. Chok Dau restored the hosts’ lead with a piece of brilliance. Taking the ball on the left corner of the box, the NPL WA Gold Medallist curled his shot superbly into the top-right corner. However, the points would be shared thanks to Arou’s last-gasp equaliser. The result sees Heidelberg sit fourth, while Altona is 11th.

OWN GOAL DENIES GULLY

Green Gully’s nightmare season took another turn on Saturday night in a 1-1 draw with Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve. Having sacked David Chick and then crashed out of the Australia Cup in a 2-1 loss to VPL2 club Goulburn Valley Suns, the Cavaliers were desperate to earn a first win of the season. And the visitors took the lead in the 50th minute thanks to Nathan Simes poking the ball home in a goal-mouth scramble. Gully held firm as Dandy pushed for an equaliser and were mere seconds away from that first win when disaster struck. Laat Manyec’s shot from the right cannoned off Taofiq Olomowewe and past Luka Romic, levelling the match. Olomowewe and several of his Gully teammates collapsed in anguish and devastation. The result sees Green Gully remain last on the ladder, without a win, while the Thunder sits above them in 13th.

OAKLEIGH, HUME EPIC

Two NPL premiership contenders going toe-to-toe. Saturday’s clash between Oakleigh Cannons and Hume City at Jack Edwards Reserve was one of the matches of the year. It took a piece of magic to settle it. Joe Guest’s 81st minute winner had more than a tinge of Steven Gerrard about it, a thunderous shot from outside the box that perfectly found the bottom corner. It secured all three points and saw Oakleigh leap-frog Hume into second place on the ladder. Alex Salmon had given the Cannons a 25th minute lead, his shot deflecting past the goalkeeper. However, Hume was back on level terms just three minutes into the second half as Brayden Spink bundled the ball over the line after Adisu Bayew’s initial effort was saved. And Bayew got his name on the scoresheet on the hour mark to put Hume in front. Chris Engelhart’s shot cannoned off the post and Bayew was perfectly placed to volley the rebound in. Brought on in the 67th minute, Adem Duratovic made an instant impact, scoring the equaliser just six minutes later and his skipper Guest, as he’s done so often, lifted his team to victory.

VPL2 HIGHLIGHTS

LIONS ROCK BAYSIDE

Bayside Argonauts step up to VPL2 had been smooth but it hit a big hurdle on Saturday. Visiting Eastern Lions handed out a 5-0 belting at Shipston Reserve. Eyob Zewdie opened the scoring in just the fourth minute of the match, holding off his marker to fire home. He made it a first-half double in the 33rd minute. Lions skipper Kentaroh Ohi continued his club’s dominance in the second half, pouncing on a loose ball in the box in the 58th minute. Tyreke Johnson and Theo Smirnios added two cherries on top a fine performance in the final minutes. Bayside remain fourth on the ladder, while Eastern Lions jump to seventh.

SUNS RISING

Curtis Hughes made it eight goals in eight games, scoring for the fourth match in a row, as Goulburn Valley Suns proved too good for Kingston City 2-0 at John McEwen Reserve on Saturday. Hughes leads the VPL2 goalscoring race, his latest a long-range rocket from well outside the box. Liam Kielty had broken the deadlock in the 63rd minute, heading home from close range, securing the Suns a fifth win in eight starts. The result taking the Shepparton-based club to second on the ladder, while Kingston sits eighth.

BRANOV BRACE

Max Branov scored in each half as Keilor Park jumped up to sixth on the VPL2 ladder with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Werribee City at Keilor Park Reserve on Friday night. An Ellis Ashe penalty had given the Bees the lead in just the seventh minute. However, Keilor Park roared back into the contest. Branov found an equaliser in the 23rd minute and then the winner in the 48th. The result sees the reigning State League 1 North-West premier move into the top-six, while Werribee languishes in second last.

PYTHAGORAS ANGLES UP

Box Hill United is up to third on the VPL2 ladder after a last-gasp win over Altona City at Kim Reserve on Saturday. The 1-0 victory is United’s fourth of the season and cements it in the top-six. Just as it looked like the points would be shared in a stalemate, Agustin Casco popped up to net the winner in the 87th minute, sending the visiting fans into raptures. The result continues the club’s strong turnaround from a difficult 2025 as it eyes a premiership and/or promotion tilt.

ROYALS SURVIVE

Essendon Royals held off a whirlwind Whittlesea United fight back to claim a critical three points in a potential relegation battle. Essendon stormed out to a 4-0 lead by the hour mark before almost letting the game slip as Whittlesea scored three times in the space of seven minutes. However, the home team held firm in the final 10 minutes to secure the win. Marcus Kotronis opened the scoring in the 20th minute and Jordan Adeyemi and Takumi Niwa made it 3-0 before half-time. Adeyemi bagged a brace in the 60th minute and it looked game over. However, Brayden Portelli scored in the 71st minute and Brad Mansell (75th) and Ebubekir Capar (78th) quickly followed suit but the visitors couldn’t find the equaliser in a tense finish. The result sees Essendon climb to ninth, while Whittlesea anchors the table.

MALVERN SITTING PRETTY

The Easter break can’t stop Malvern City’s dominant form, the VPL2 ladder-leader disposing of Moreland City 4-1 at CB Smith Reserve on Saturday. City did it the hard way after going behind in the just the second minute of the match when Matt Sporle struck for Moreland. However, Carlton Westerdale had them back level just six minutes later in a stunning start to the match. Michael Hornsby scored his equal league-leading eight goal of the season in the 26th minute to put Malvern on top and it never looked back. Stephen McDonald put a cherry on top with a second half brace, scoring in the 67th and 78th minute to seal the three points. It is the reigning State League 1 South-East premier’s seventh win in eight starts and has it six points clear of GV Suns in second.

VPL1 HIGHLIGHTS

SHARKS BREAK DROUGHT

Port Melbourne is officially on the board in 2026. After a difficult start to the VPL1 season, the Sharks secured their first win with a 1-0 triumph over FC Melbourne at Murphy Reserve on Saturday. Cooper LeGrand scored the only goal of the match, pouncing just two minutes into the second half. Srbija’s hopes of a fightback copped a blow when Tom Lakic was shown a straight red card in the 50th minute. The breakthrough win wasn’t enough to lift the Sharks off the bottom of the ladder, still sitting 14th, but now only two points from safety. FC Melbourne also sits in the relegation zone but is only goal difference behind 11th-placed North Sunshine.

ROMAS AT THE DEATH

There would be few better wins in Eltham Redbacks’ recent history than Saturday’s stunning come-from-behind victory over North Sunshine at North Eltham Reserve. The Redbacks came from a goal down twice before Billy Romas snatched all three points with a 90th minute winner, sending the faithful wild. Kaan Elibol put the Eagles in front in the 23rd minute, only for Lewis Collins to equalise in the 37th. Aiden Olds restored the visitors’ lead in the 63rd but Eltham responded again through Mehmet Uysal in the 75th. Just as it looked like the teams would share the points came the decisive moment, a beautiful bit of control from Temor Foryabee in traffic set up Romas for the cool finish under pressure. The result sees Eltham in fourth, firmly cemented in the top-six.

KNIGHTS RESPOND

After an embarrassing 1-0 loss to State League club Yarraville Club in the Dockerty Cup, Melbourne Knights needed a response. They got an emphatic one - a 3-0 victory over Brunswick City at Dunstan Reserve on Monday night. After a scoreless first half, Nathan Flanagan broke the deadlock in the 58th minute. Josh Divin then sealed the three points with a late brace, finding the back of the net in the 71st and 95th minutes. The result sees the Knights sitting third on the VPL1 ladder as they chase an immediate return to the NPL.

LIONS TURNING

After a tough start to the season, Bulleen Lions are starting to find their stride. A 2-0 win over Western United the latest positive result to have the club on the cusp of the VPL1 top-six. In a tight, tense arm-wrestle, it took until the 78th minute for Enzo Campana to break the deadlock and Mohammad Rahimi sealed the three points in the 91st. The Lions have now won three games on the trot. Meanwhile, Western United sits in ninth.

HERCULES EXTENDS LEAD

After dropping its first game of the season to Melbourne Knights in the previous round, pity the team that had to face Northcote City on the rebound. Manningham United played host to the ladder-leader at Pettys Reserve on Saturday and Hercules came away with a 2-0 win, immediately returning to the winners’ circle. Kasper Hallam found the back of the net for the third time this season, opening the scoring in the 23rd minute with a tap-in from close range. The two premiership contenders traded chances but it was Northcote that struck the killer blow. Zack Appleton sealed the three points in the 87th minute. Northcote City remain on top, while Manningham sits in fifth.

GANINO ON FIRE

Brunswick Juventus is sitting second on the VPL1 ladder and eyeing a stunning rise back to the NPL. The Zebras continued their hot start to the VPL1 season with a 3-0 win over Langwarrin at CB Smith Reserve on Friday night. Langwarrin had the ball in the back of the net early but it was ruled out for offside. After a scoreless first half it was Austin Ganino who opened the scoring for Juventus, Nuh Sehavdic’s shot ricocheting perfectly to him. Ganino then turned provider but for an unfortunate own goal for Luke Adams, accidentally heading in the cross. Ganino rounded out a man-of-the-match performance with another assist, this time his cross putting the ball on a platter for Sallu Kamara to head home from close range.

Originally published as Check out all the highlights from an action-packed weekend of NPL and VPL football