Kiss of Death, Round 14, 2012

Friday 8:30 PM Hume City (4th) vs Northcote City (9th)
Northcote drew 0-0 against Southern Stars, while Hume lost 1-0 at Dandenong Thunder. Will most likely be a tough match. Northcote needs this win to establish themselves properly in the five, while Hume needs this win to keep up with the pack. South need this one to be a draw to slow down Northcote and keep Hume off their tails. Hume City 0 Northcote City 0.

Friday 8:30 PM Richmond (10th) vs Heidelberg United (12th)
I’ll be doing autograph signings at this one. I saw Richmond beat Bentleigh 0-1 last week, but didn’t see Heidelberg lose 1-2 to Green Gully. Obviously, the Bergers need to win, and this is a winnable game for them. If they lose here then I’d definitely consider them a State 1 champion next season. Richmond did well last week at Bentleigh, they looked good going forward and comfortable at the back, except for the last ten minutes, when Bentleigh threw everything at them. I think Heidelberg can come good for this challenge. Even a draw will be a good beginning. Richmond 2 – Heidelberg 3.

Saturday 7:00 PM Southern Stars (6th) vs Bentleigh Greens (5th)
This is the easiest to pick. A no brainer if you will. South needs a draw. The co-tenant derby. I won’t write much about this one. Southern Stars 1 – Bentleigh Greens 1.

Sunday 3:00 PM Moreland Zebras (11th) vs Oakleigh Cannons (2nd)
Moreland got taught a lesson at Somers Street last weekend by a youthful and exuberant Knights outfit 2-1. Oakleigh lost 2-1 at Lakeside in what could’ve been a bigger margin if not for their keeper. Both teams coming off losses. Moreland needs to win to survive the drop, while Oakleigh needs to win to consolidate their top five position. South needs a draw or win to Moreland. Moreland are for the tip. Oakleigh surprised me how they are second. Is the VPL that bad? YES, YES, YES! Moreland Zebras 2 – Oakleigh Cannons 1.

Sunday 3:00 PM Melbourne Knights (8th) vs Dandenong Thunder (1st)
The Knights were excellent against Moreland last week in their come from behind 2-1 win. Dandenong as expected had a 1-0 win over Hume City. A win to Dandenong is the recipe for the day. South needs to shake off the Knights who are behind them on goal difference. I still think the Knights will give them a run for their money, but Dandy will just be better where it counts, on the scoreboard. Melbourne knights 1 – Dandeong Thunder 2.

Sunday 5:00 PM South Melbourne (7th) vs Green Gully Cavaliers (3rd)
Last week Green Gully beat the struggling Bergers 1-2. South Melbourne absolutely made a mockery of Oakleigh's second place on the ladder with a 2-1 win at Lakeside. The score coulda, shoulda, woulda, been bigger but for Italiano in goals. He has impressed this season, and tell ya what, he earnt his money against South. South was good, very good. Burton has been a wonder signing in this transfer window. Takes the load off big Trent and is a tough tackling Brit. Seems to have a wicked shot on him too, but how he hit the post from a couple of yards out in the first half has me necked. South was all over Oakleigh from the get go. It took Oakleigh two minutes to finally touch the ball after South kicked off. South did everything right. Chased hard, tackled hard, worked hard, attacked as a group, defended as a team, didn’t lose their shape, and was clinical in their passing and shooting. Overall a great day. For a change everyone left Lakeside happy, and we go into the Green Gully game with more confidence than usual. South Melbourne 3 – Green Gully 0.

Editors note: South's game this week is the FFV live stream game of the week. While of course there's nothing like the South Melbourne Hellas live experience, if you can't make it to the game, head to the FFV's Official Youtube Channel for their live coverage.

Admin Stuff

• Congratulations to Arthur Papas for beating me in the Euro 2012 tipping comp. A thank you for agreeing to participate.
• Match clock at Lakeside. It would be handy if the clock stopped with five minutes to go. Teams play to the clock and it gives an unfair advantage to the leading team. We get this at no other stadium. Turn the fucker off.
• Liquor Licensing. A big ‘well done’ to the State Trust. How can you not apply for a permanent liquor license from the opening day of the venue, and instead you go and get a temporary one ? Seriously, how fucken amateurish. Also, that is no excuse for not having the food outlet open for the game against Oakleigh. The souvs and sausages that caravan sells are not as good as your pies, some of us actually wait a week to get a decent pie you know.
• FFV. I am still waiting for my media pass. Season is nearly over you know.
• Rumours. When people start rumours they should have some basis for them. Not bullshit ones that don’t even make sense. The key to a good rumour is a concrete source.