Victorian Premier League Round 22 Review

ALTONA Magic registered the win it needed at Oakleigh but it was not good enough to stay afloat in a final day of high drama in the Alanic Victorian Premier League.

Despite recording a 4-2 win against the Cannons, the 2008 and 2009 champions were bundled out of the top flight after the Bentleigh Greens successfully secured a point at home to Richmond.

But the result did have deep implications on Oakleigh's season, slipping out of the top five for the first time since early in the season.

Magic captain Pece Siveski gave his side the perfect start, scoring from a free kick inside the opening two minutes.

The Cannons were level on 27 minutes after Aristidis Drakos turned a cross from Bill Damianos home.

Altona defender Sime Kovacevic headed home to regain the lead for the Magic five minutes before the main break.

They managed to get another in first half stoppage time when Kole Delev fed the impressive Mathew Theodore behind to make it 3-1.

Oakleigh target man Jerry Karpeh got on the scoresheet to pull one back with a header on 53 minutes.

Lively Altona striker John Thornley scored what proved to be the sealer just before the hour mark.

BENTLEIGH secured its spot in the top flight with a 1-1 draw at home to minor premiers Richmond.

Exchanging goals in the space of two minutes were Greens' Adam Fadljevic, whose opener was cancelled out by Michael Ferrante a minute later.

A point for the Eagles wrapped up top spot while the Greens ensured a spot for next season.

HUME City scored a late goal to record a 4-3 win at Northcote City.

In a game that saw three penalties, Hume midfielder Ross Thompson opened the scoring from the spot on 21 minutes after Andy Vlahos was brought down.

Hume went two goals up on 37 minutes with striker Richard Cardozo doubling the lead to continue his goal-scoring form.

But Northcote front man Trent Rixon pulled one back on the stroke of half time, also from the penalty spot.

Two goals in the space of four minutes in the second half put Northcote ahead.

First, Mark McGough levelled scores before Rixon sealed his brace with a header.

Hume was level five minutes later after Paul Savio was adjudged to have handled in the area, Thompson again stepping up to make it 3-3.

Hume veteran Vlahos scored the winner on 89 minutes.

HEIDELBERG United recorded an important 1-0 win against Dandenong Thunder in Port Melbourne.

Paul Miller scored the only goal on 16 minutes, bundling in a cross from Josip Kosic.

Thunder substitute Chachi Elmazi was sent off for picking up two bookable offences in the space of a minute late on.

SOUTH Melbourne outclassed Sunshine George Cross with a 4-0 thrashing to send the Georgies out of the top flight and move into fifth.

Star attacker Fernando De Moraes scored a brace in a highly entertaining encounter.

He opened the scoring on 13 minutes after turning onto his left on the edge of the area to send a stunning shot into the top corner of the net.

He scored his second on 62 minutes, finding himself unmarked at the back post and striking into the roof of the net after striker Gianni De Nittis had hit the crossbar.

It was all South after the second with midfielder Carl Recchia scoring a stunning free kick into the top corner on 69 minutes.

Captain Ramazan Tavsancioglu scored a rare goal on 83 minutes, sliding in to score from close range after Kyle Joryeff had forced Martin John into a parry.

GREEN Gully handed the Melbourne Knights a 5-0 thrashing with both teams playing severely undermanned and the latter with nothing to play for.

After the in-form Kevin Townson struck the crossbar early, Cavaliers midfielder Graham Hockless placed a stunning shot from outside the area into the top corner to open the scoring.

Gully striker Mathew Sanders ended the contest with a five-minute double salvo before the break.

First he capitalized on two failed clearances by Thomas Skara to tap home before heading in a cross from Cameron Drake at the back post.

The Gully made it four on 49 minutes with Hockless striking a vicious shot past Matthew Hrastov in the Knights goal.

Left back Steven Burton got the fifth just before the hour mark, placing a quickly taken free kick into the corner as the Knights set their wall.

Ladder (end of regular season)

1 - Richmond +7 40 pts

2 - Hume City +12 39 pts

3 - Green Gully Cavaliers +14 36 pts

4 - Heidelberg United +1 33 pts

5 - South Melbourne* +13 30 pts

6 - Oakleigh Cannons -1 30 pts

7 - Northcote City* +9 28 pts