Melbourne Knights FC Official Website Melbourne Knights aim to make it three wins from three against Bentleigh Greens this season when the pair go head-to-head in NPL Victoria Round 17 action at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Knights can complete a first ever NPL Victoria league double over Bentleigh on Saturday after defeating the Greens 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Knights Stadium in Round 4 thanks to a Gian Albano penalty.
Ben Cahn’s side were also 2-0 victors when they faced Bentleigh at Kingston Heath in Australia Cup Preliminary Round 6 action thanks to goals from Albano and Corey Sewell last month.
Saturday’s match also presents the opportunity for the Knights to return to winning ways after having their club record NPL Victoria eight match unbeaten streak ended by South Melbourne last weekend.
Gevaro Nepoumceno’s fourth goal of the season wasn’t enough as strikes from Jack Painter-Andrews and Ajak Riak along with a number of crucial saves from goalkeeper Javi Lopez saw South take the points.
Bentleigh Greens also come into Saturday’s clash off the back of a defeat last weekend, having gone down 3-1 at the hands of Green Gully.
Ricardo Marchioli’s side will also be without experienced campaigner Scott Hilliar after the defender saw red in last weekend’s defeat at Gully.
The Greens start Round 17 in the relegation zone with just nine points to their name so far while Knights sit fourth on 31 points as they seek a return to finals football for the first time since 2015.
The two sides have met sixteen times at NPL Victoria level with Knights winning on five occasions, Bentleigh nine, while two draws have been played out between the pair.
Saturday’s match marks the start of a busy week for Ben Cahn’s side with the chance to qualify for the Australia Cup Round of 32 on the line when Knights host Yarraville on Tuesday night before returning to league action with a home clash against Port Melbourne on Friday.
MATCH DETAILS
NPL Victoria 2023 – Round 17: Bentleigh Greens v Melbourne Knights
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, Cheltenham
Saturday, 10 June (3:00pm KO)