Victorian Premier League Round 19 Review

THE relegation six-pointer ended in a draw to give neither side an edge as another game was abandoned in round 19 of the Alanic Victorian Premier League.

Little changed in the relegation battle with Altona Magic coming from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw at the Melbourne Knights.

The Knights took a two-goal lead, the first after a long ball from Danny Tiatto was brought down and hammered home by star Frenchman Jean-Charles Dubois on 19 minutes.

The Magic almost equalized straight after the break, but a volley from Pece Cergovski struck the crossbar.

After numerous corners moments later, the Knights made it two courtesy of a goal from Ryan Filipovic.

The visitors pulled one back when Slave Bozinovski crossed for star front man John Thornley to head home with a little over 20 minutes to play.

With less than five minutes to go, midfielder Dejan Radojicic cut out a Knights pass from defence and released Cergovski, who struck a long-range bullet to level the scores.

NORTHCOTE City had its lights turned out, leading 4-1 at Dandenong Thunder before the game was abandoned.

The lights went out at George Andrew Reserve after an hour had been played.

Northcote went ahead just after 20 minutes with a double salvo.

Wingers Jonathan Voulgaris and Mark McGough scored in quick succession.

Moments before half time, City striker James Kalifatidis rounded the Thunder keeper to make it three.

But the Thunder pulled one back before the break when Scott Bulloch scored in a goalmouth scramble.

When Kalifatidis scored his brace and Northcote's fourth, the lights went out in Dandenong and the game was abandoned.

The FFV will decide on the outcome of the clash.

RICHMOND consolidated top spot on the table with a 1-0 home win against struggling finals contender Oakleigh.

Early on, winger Davey van't Schip crashed a drive into the upright.

The game turned for the worse for the Cannons midway through the second half with Scott Webster given his marching orders for a second bookable offence.

A cross from Dimitri Tsiaras found striker Daniel Visevic to volley home with a quarter of an hour to play and give the Eagles a second-straight win.

SOUTH Melbourne kept its faint finals hopes alive, scoring a late goal to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Hume City.

Vaughan Coveny's men opened the scoring on the half hour when Joe Keenan turned his man and sent a shot across Lupce Acevski and into the corner of the Hume net.

But Hume striker Richard Cardozo continued his goal scoring form with the equalizer three minutes before the interval, tapping home in a goalmouth scramble.

The front man had his brace midway through the second half when he again found himself in the right spot at the right time to tap home.

Although City continued to look dangerous, South found itself level when midfielder Carl Recchia turned a Daniel Vasilevski shot into the net with his head with five minutes to play.

GREEN Gully scored a late winner to secure a 2-1 win over the relegation-destined Sunshine George Cross.

The Cavaliers were on the wrong end of a late equalizer last week but it was the Georgies who opened the scoring in the derby through James Blackburn on 20 minutes.

Miscommunication between defender Mile Medjedovic and keeper Nikola Roganovic allowed Blackburn through to open the scoring.

Gully responded and striker Gary Wales struck the upright with a header before partner Brent Fisher scored his first goal for the club.

Fisher flicked on a Vargas corner with his head and past Martin John in the Georgies goal.

Soon after, midfielder Timothy Gould struck the crossbar.

Left back Steven Burton also hit the post before Gould found the winner in a goalmouth scramble in stoppage time.

HEIDELBERG United continued Bentleigh's miserable run of form with a 1-0 home win.

Striker Saso Alexovski found the only goal of the game from the penalty spot on 28 minutes, after he was brought down in the area.

Bentleigh's Luke Fitzpatrick was sent off on 71 minutes for a rash challenge.

Ladder (after 19 rounds)

1 - Richmond +5 35 pts

2 - Hume City +8 32 pts

3 - Green Gully Cavaliers +9 30 pts