Oakleigh Cannons beat Green Gully 4:1 in the NPL Victoria's regular season at stage 24 on 14 August 2026. The match opened with two quick goals before the visitors could settle properly. By then the home side had already established the pattern they'd maintain for most of the game.
J. Knowles struck first in the second minute, and A. Duratovic doubled the advantage just five minutes later. Duratovic came close to a hat-trick before the break but Green Gully held on for a half-time lead of two goals. And here's the thing — the visitors never really threatened to turn it around after that opening spell.
Duratovic completed his brace in the 49th minute, running onto a pass and finishing with composure. R. Tafunai added a fourth in the 71st to put any remaining doubt to rest, and that was the decisive moment. The home side camped in the final third after their third goal, making Green Gully defend for long periods.
A. Salmon pulled one back for Green Gully in the 90th minute plus four, but it was pure consolation at that stage. The away side had not travelled to make up the numbers but they struggled to create anything meaningful after the restart. Three goals in the second half meant the game was effectively over well before the final whistle.
The result keeps Oakleigh Cannons top of the table with 54 points from 26 games. Green Gully remain in 13th place with 18 points, four wins and six draws from the same number of matches. To be fair the home side had been less dominant in their previous fixtures — a 0:0 draw with Bentley Greens and a 1:2 loss to South Melbourne — but they found another gear on this afternoon.