Melbourne City’s youth will return to action on Saturday afternoon, clashing with NPL2 Western side Brunswick City, as the NPL2 marks the third outbreak of cross-conference hostilities in round 11 of the season.
City last week was thoroughly dominant en route to a 6-1 thrashing of the Western Conference’s North Geelong Warriors at La Trobe University.
Yusuf Ahmed proved the superstar for City, netting a hat-trick and at times making the Warriors defence look like training cones as he danced in and out as he made his way goalward. He was joined on the scoresheet by a trio of scholarship players, highly rated youngsters Connor Metcalfe, Denis Genreau and Dylan Pierias all adding goals in the romp.
City retained third place on the NPL2s Eastern Conference with the win, closing the gap between themselves and the league-leading Dandenong City to three points after Hajduk lost to Altona City, and sitting only a solitary point behind the second-placed Moreland City, who could only secure a draw against the Rangers of Whittlesea.
Opponents Brunswick City head into Saturday’s contest sitting in 7th position on the NPL2 Western Conference table, with three wins, two draws four losses.
Brunswick has only recorded a solitary win in their past five hit-outs, defeating the Eastern Lions on April 14. Last week George Karkaletsis’ squad suffered a heavy defeat, going down 5-0 on the road against the Goulburn Valley Suns.
Peter Kratky’s U20 squad will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce in their curtain raiser prior the seniors contest, coming in with the wind at their backs after laying down a 4-0 demolition of the North Geelong U20s thanks to goals from George Gerondaras, Sam Morrison and Dennis Menelaou and a Warrior own goal.
The win has vaulted City’s U20s up to 4th position on the U20s NPL2 Eastern Conference table, with five wins and five losses to their name.
They will this week face a Brunswick U20s side that sits rooted to the bottom of the U20s NPL2 Western Conference table – winless in their nine hit outs after recording seven losses and two draws.
City’s other academy sides made it back-to-back heavy victories in their fixtures last week; Simon Zappia’s U15s defeating the U15s of Murray United 7-0 and the U18s under Davey van ‘t Schip recording an even heavier 9-0 win.
The two sides will this week head down to Dandenong, set to clash with the academy sides of the Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve on Sunday. The U15s kick-off is set for 11.30, with the U18s set to follow at 1.30pm.
Match Details
National Premier Leagues Victoria – NPL2 – Round 11
Brunswick City v Melbourne City FC
Saturday, 5 May 2018
Venue: Dunstan Reserve, Brunswick West, Melbourne
Kick-off: U20s – 1.30pm, Seniors – 3.00pm
