Hume City will enter the final round of the National Premier League on Sunday looking for a top-five finish in the competition’s first season.
City is fifth and can’t go any higher but could drop to sixth if the weekend’s results go against it.
Hume got one point out of its latest match, a highly controversial 1-1 draw away at fourth-placed Bentleigh Greens last Friday.
The Greens opened the scoring in the 69th minute. The margin could have been a lot bigger but for some great saves by City goalkeeper Chris Oldfield.
Hume didn’t lie down and the equaliser came in the last minute of regular time in unusual circumstances.
Greens keeper Alistair Bray thought he heard the referee signal a free kick and placed the ball on the ground to take the kick.
But City striker Johnny Sapazovski quickly pounced and put the ball into the unguarded net.
Despite protests from the Greens, the referee allowed the goal.
Hume will now play host to Northcote City at Broadmeadows Valley Park on Sunday.
The match will start at 3pm.
In VPL 1, Whittlesea Ranges and Dandenong City played an entertaining 11-goal match at Epping Stadium.
The visitors made the better start and raced to a 3-0 lead early in the match before Ranges hit back with two of their own through Daniel Peluso and Daniel Sotiropoulos.
And the Ranges levelled at 3-3 when Sotiropoulos scored his second goal early in the second half.
Dandenong responded with two more goals to lead 5-3, before Kliment Dimitrieski made it 5-4 with a penalty for Whittlesea.
From there it was all Dandenong, which scored two late goals to win 7-4.
Ranges sit in 13th position with three rounds to go, on 19 points.
This week they are away to fifth-placed Box Hill United at Wembley Park, Box Hill on Saturday.
The match will start at 3.15pm.
