Whittlesea Ranges’ hopes of finishing on top of the ladder and getting promotion in National Premier League 2 west are fading.
On top of the ladder until recently, the Ranges’ form has slipped – they’re now third with two rounds remaining.
On Friday night, they faced fourth-placed Moreland City and neither side could find the scoreboard in the first half.
The Ranges were a man down when substitute Andrew Milicevic received a red card in the 78th minute, just seven minutes after coming on the field.
The Zebras capitalised, scoring through Joshua Sabidussi in the 85th minute.
This proved to be the only score of the game, giving the Zebras a 1-0 win.
The Ranges are now four points behind St Albans Saints and a point behind second-placed North Geelong Warriors.
Hume City finished the regular NPL season in sixth spot after its 2-0 loss to FC Bulleen Lions in the final round of the season.
The Lions opened the scoring early in the first half, and two minutes later made it 2-0.
City never recovered and the score stayed the same for the rest of the match.
Hume City now plays Oakleigh Cannons in the first week of finals. Before then, there’s a round of 16 FFA Cup matches against A-League powerhouse Melbourne Victory, and the two do battle on Wednesday night at ABD Stadium.
City won a practice match last week against A-League side Melbourne City, 1-0.
