Top Three Go Clear

Bentleigh Greens 4 (Sean McIlroy (2), Aron Wilford, Stuart Nicholson)
Hume City 1 (Richard Cardozo)
@ Kingston Heath Soccer Complex 

BENTLEIGH Greens provided one of the upsets of the round with a 4-1 hammering of Hume City.

 A brace from striker Sean McIlroy helped the Greens to their fourth win of the season and within two points of Hume, who finished the game with nine men.

McIlroy opened the scoring midway through the first half with a powerful header before tucking home a penalty just before the break.

Hume goalkeeper Kenny Gerohristodolou saw red for the resultant challenge.

City worked their way back into the game at the beginning of the second half as Richard Cardozo converted an Andy Vlahos cross.

But their hopes of a comeback were dashed when defender Isiyan Erdogan picked up a second booking.

Defender Aron Wilford struck with a third as the Greens created a host of chances and Stuart Nicholson found his second goal in as many weeks.

Bentleigh have won three of their four home games and remain in touch with the finals top five.

Oakleigh Cannons 3 (James Downey, Dane Milovanovic, Craig Goodwin)
St Albans Saints 0
@ Jack Edwards Reserve 

 OAKLEIGH Cannons maintained their solid start to the season with a comfortable 3-0 win over the winless St Albans Saints.

 The Cannons have won six of nine to start the season while their lowly opponents have collected just two points of a possible 24.

The home side again made a flying start and were on the scoreboard within five minutes when James Downey struck.

On the half hour mark, Dane Milovanovic continued his goal-scoring form with a goal from the spot.

Craig Goodwin completed the scoring 20 minutes before the end as the Cannons moved top ahead of the weekend.

Things are getting desperate for the Saints, who are five points from safety and still searching for a coach, making next week’s derby clash with Melbourne Knights even more important.

Green Gully Cavaliers 2 (Jonathan Munoz, Jason Hayne)
Northcote City 3 (Eddie Soares, Jason Trifiro, Glen Trifiro)
@ Green Gully Reserve 

 NORTHCOTE City ensured Green Gully’s slow start to their title defence continued with a 3-2 win.

The Cavaliers finished the game with nine men but nearly pulled off an extraordinary comeback in the dying stages.

Goals from Eddie Soares and Jason Trifiro gave City an early lead before Cameron Drake was given his marching orders.

When Glen Trifiro found a third in the second period the game looked all but over.

But Jonathan Munoz pulled a goal back before Cavaliers captain Jeffrey Fleming was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Somehow, Jason Hayne brought Gully within a goal with 10 minutes to play but they could not find an equaliser.

It leaves them sitting precariously just above the relegation zone while City moved into the top five.

Springvale White Eagles 0
Dandenong Thunder 3 (Luke Sherbon (2), Mathew Theodore)
@ White Eagles Stadium

 DANDENONG Thunder ended Springvale’s five-game unbeaten run with a late surge to win 3-0.

A brace from Luke Sherbon and another from Mathew Theodore all came in the last quarter of an hour to give Thunder the points.

It sent the White Eagles back into the bottom two despite their recent run of form, while Thunder continue to impress in the top half of the table.

South Melbourne 1 (Carl Recchia)
Richmond 0
@ John Cain Memorial Park

 SOUTH Melbourne moved back to the top of the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Richmond.

Carl Recchia scored his second goal of the season and it was enough to give South the points and extend their unbeaten run to six games.

Richmond have been in solid form recently but now sit in the congested bottom half.

Heidelberg United 2 (Evan Christodoulou, Saso Alexovski)
Melbourne Knights 1 (Craig Sweeney)
@ Olympic Park (Village)

HEIDELBERG United moved out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over the Melbourne Knights.

Young gun Evan Christodoulou struck midway through the first half before Saso Alexovski found another early in the second.

Knights youngster Craig Sweeney brought some life into the contest late on but it was not enough for his team to avoid a third-straight loss.

United jumped into eighth with the win, while the Knights are ninth and with a vital game against St Albans to come in round nine.

Round Nine:
Wednesday (8.30pm): Victorian Training Centre v Dandenong Thunder @ George Andrews Reserve
Saturday (3pm): Northcote City v Springvale White Eagles @ John Cain Memorial Park
Saturday (3pm): Green Gully Cavaliers v Heidelberg United @ Green Gully Reserve
Saturday (7pm): Dandenong Thunder v Bentleigh Greens @ George Andrews Reserve
Sunday (3pm): St Albans Saints v Melbourne Knights @ Churchill Reserve
Sunday (3pm): Richmond v Oakleigh Cannons @ Kevin Bartlett Reserve
Sunday (3pm): Hume City v South Melbourne @ Broadmeadows Valley Park

Alanic Victorian Premier League 2011 – League Table

* Please note Victorian Training Centre games are for points but the team cannot play finals or be relegated.

* Round Three: Heidelberg United docked three points for incidents stemming from clash with Hume City.

Alanic Victorian Premier League 2011 - Leading Goal-Scorers
5 – Goran ZORIC (Springvale White Eagles), Jesse KRNCEVIC (South Melbourne), Sean McILROY (Bentleigh Greens)

4 – Ross THOMPSON (Hume City), Steven COOK (Dandenong Thunder), Steven WEIR (Hume City), Zoran VUKAS (Springvale White Eagles), Kyle JORYEFF (South Melbourne), Josip KOZIC (Melbourne Knights), Frankie LAGANA (Oakleigh Cannons), Luke SHERBON (Dandenong Thunder), Saso ALEXOVSKI (Heidelberg United)

3 – Damir LOKVANCIC (Victorian Training Centre), James ROBINSON (Oakleigh Cannons), Trent RIXON (Northcote City), David STIRTON (Victorian Training Centre), Hayden DOYLE (Bentleigh Greens), Chris TAYLOR (Dandenong Thunder), James KALIFATIDIS (Northcote City), Osagie EDERARO (Heidelberg United), Michael FERRANTE (Richmond), Jason HOFFMAN (Richmond), Richard CARDOZO (Hume City), Dane MILOVANOVIC (Oakleigh Cannons), Jason HAYNE (Green Gully Cavaliers), Mathew THEODORE (Dandenong Thunder)