Generally, one can’t say with any sort of certainty that the goal of the season has been scored just a month in but, following the efforts Steven Hewitt in week four of the NPL Victoria campaign, an exception might have to be made.
Lining up to take a free-kick placed closer to the halfway line than the Knights’ goal, the 26-year-old Mancunian let loose with a thunderbolt from the heavens in the 39th minute of Hume’s visit to Knights Stadium on Friday night.
Bewitching Knights goalkeeper Jordan Gifkins in flight, the ball then dipped at just the right moment to beat the custodian, nestle under the bar and etch itself as one of the best goals ever scored at the hallowed ground.
Disappointingly for coach Stuart Munro’s Knights, Hewitt’s goal was the third scored by table-topping Hume on the evening, with Mitch Cooper and James Brown having already given their side a first-half two-goal cushion.
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An own goal from Deniz Yildiz early in the second half then made it 4-0 to the visitors, before goals from Hamish Watson and Caleb Mikulic dragged Knights back to some small level of respectability as the game ended 4-2.
Elsewhere on Friday night, Oakleigh Cannons remained within touching distance of Hume on the NPL Victoria table after they thumped Altona Magic 5-0 at Jack Edwards Reserve.
Reigning NPL Victoria Gold Medalist Joe Guest put his side ahead after just five minutes when he fired in after a cutback from Joe Knowles, before Harry White and the aforementioned Knowles made it 3-0 with goals in the 15th and 17th minutes.
A wide-open Wade Decker then delicately placed home a Tyson Holmes cross in the 50th minute to make it four for the hosts and Goran Zoric then put a bow in proceedings when he netted in the 93rd minute to cap off a Cannons’ procession.
Dandenong Thunder, likewise, did their bit to stay in touch with Hume as they downed Eastern Lions 1-0 in a re-organized fixture on Monday night.
Played at George Andrews Reserve after the surface at Gardiners Creek Reserve was deemed unsafe for football, Thunder talisman Brandon Barnes proved the difference between the two on the evening when he converted his fourth goal in as many games to secure his side a 1-0 win.
Fourth-placed St Albans Saints continued their strong start to the season on Friday night as they held out for a dogged 0-0 draw with Bentleigh Greens at Kingston Heath.
George Lambadaridis fired a shot straight at Christopher Couesnon in the 19th minute for the game’s first major chance and the Dinamo custodian went on to produce a fine save to deny Greens’ captain Jack Webster in the 54th minute.
Three minutes later the hosts did find a way to put the ball in the back of the net through Brent McGrath, only for the flag of the linesman to drag them back to level pegging.
There was no such profligacy in front of goal from Avondale FC in another southeast Melbourne fixture played on Friday night, as the Avengers comfortably downed Dandenong City 3-0 at Frank Holohan Soccer Complex.
Jonatan Germano struck true from the spot after Yitay Towns won a penalty in the 23rd minute to give his side a lead, one that was then bolstered when Yusuf Ahmed went on a barnstorming run forward and slid a shot beyond Damir Salcin to make it 2-0 in the 49th minute.
Tasuku Sekiya burst up the right flank and cut the ball back to Liam Boland to set up Avondale’s third goal of the evening in the 90th minute to put the cherry on the sundae as coach Zoran Markovski’s side made it three wins from three after their opening round defeat to the Magic.
Previously in the midst of their own three-game run – albeit of the losing variety – Green Gully got their first points of the board for 2020 after coach Stephen Downes’ side defeated Heidelberg United 2-1 at Green Gully Reserve.
Luka Ninković had headed the Bergers ahead early on in the contest when he met an Adrian Zahra ball into the penalty area in the 29th minute of play but the previously winless Gully was able to rally and bring the game level in the Kristian Brymora picked out Matthew Fletcher inside the visitors penalty area with a pinpoint cross that he headed goalward.
Pushing late, the hosts then took the lead when a Brymora shot was inadvertently turned into the net by Heidelberg defender Ajdin Fetahagic - his attempted deflection completely wrong-footing Christopher Theodoridis as on its way over the goal line.
In Friday evening’s other contest, neither Port Melbourne Sharks or South Melbourne FC were able to find a moment of inspiration to steal a win as the two sides played out a 1-1 draw at JL Murphy Reserve.
Gerrie Sylaidos got the visitors ahead in the 11th minute of play when, gifted far too much room to move by the Sharks’ defence, he cut inside from the right and drove a low effort inside the far post.
However, an inadvertent handball by the South defence as they attempted to clear a ball wafted into the area by Yuta Konagaya gave the Sharks a chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the 25th minute – an opportunity their Japanese superstar promptly took.
Unfortunately, neither side was able to kick on from there and find a winner – with both club’s midfields at times going missing as they looked to move the ball long to their big target men up front and win any subsequent second balls that were spilled.
Feature image courtesy of Football Victoria
