By Lance Jenkinson
Green Gully Cavaliers twice came from behind to salvage a crucial point in a 2-2 draw with Hume City in a pulsating National Premier League game on Saturday night.
The Broadmeadows Valley Park match was huge, with both sides threatened with relegation play-offs.
The Cavaliers are third last on the ladder, the position that carries with it a relegation play-off with the NPL 2 runner-up, while Hume City is fourth last and provisionally in a position of safety. But that could change in a dramatic final round this Sunday.
One of three teams will finish in that dreaded third-last spot – Green Gully, on 26 points, Hume City (27) and South Melbourne (28).
If Green Gully wins its match against Kingston City at Green Gully Reserve on Sunday, it will avoid a relegation play-off if Hume City draws with or loses to Pascoe
Vale; or South Melbourne loses to Port Melbourne.
If Green Gully draws with Kingston City, it can escape a relegation play-off if Hume City loses to Pascoe Vale.
With simultaneous 3pm kick-offs on Sunday, club social media accounts will be closely monitored by supporters of all three teams.
Finals-chasing Melbourne Knights could be doing some social media monitoring of their own come Sunday.
The Knights’ position was not known as Star Weekly went to print due to them playing on Monday night against Bulleen Lions.
As of Monday morning, the Knights were one point out of the top six, but were favourites to get the job done later that day against the cellar dweller Lions.
In women’s NPL, the race for the premiers plate is not over just yet.
Calder United must have thought its chances of snatching top spot were finished after a disappointing 3-0 loss to Bulleen Lions on Saturday. But Calder received a lifeline 24 hours later when top side South Melbourne coughed up a lead in a 2-1 loss to Alamein.
Calder will travel to Box Hill United in the penultimate round on Saturday.
