South Melbourne defeated traditional rival Heidelberg United 3-0 in the first ever FFV NPL match, in front of 3175 fans at Olympic Village last night.
South Melbourne defeated traditional rival Heidelberg United 3-0 in the first ever Football Federation Victoria (FFV) National Premier Leagues (NPL) match, in front of 3175 fans at Olympic Village last night.
Mathew Theodore opened the scoring with a fine volley in the 12th minute, while Milos Lujic chipped the keeper less than 10 minutes later to put the visitors in control.
Heidelberg was unable to claw back the deficit despite having good spells of possession in the second half, as South Melbourne secured the points when Jamie Reed scored the third late in the match.
FFV CEO Mitchell Murphy praised the impressive turnout for the inaugural NPL opener, with kick-off delayed by 15 minutes to allow the large crowd to file in.
"We have begun an exciting new chapter in Victorian football," Mr Murphy said.
"Last night's great crowd truly reflects the deep passion of volunteers and supporters in the club structures.
"Our code is getting stronger and stronger and FFV feels a deep sense of obligation to deliver the best NPL in Australia. We will continue to build on a fantastic start to the 2014 season."
NPL VIC Live (www.livecast.com.au/listen-live/) called the opener live, in a broadcast which was well received in Victoria, nationwide and around the world.
NPL VIC Live will also call tonight's contest between Melbourne Knights and Northcote City live.
Port Melbourne hosts Dandenong Thunder in other Round 1 NPL action tonight, while Whittlesea Ranges hosts Kingston City at Epping Stadium in the opening NPL 1 match.
Click here to read the full match report from South Melbourne's win over Heidelberg United.
Pictured: Mathew Theodore is flanked by teammates after scoring the first ever NPL goal (image credit: Cindy Nitsos)