Melbourne Victory will head to Cheltenham when it meets PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria club Bentleigh Greens in the Westfield FFA Cup 2016 Quarter Finals on Tuesday night.
Founded by old Central City Soccer Club members who were determined to create a strong Greek-Cypriot team in Melbourne, Bentleigh Greens Soccer Club was born in 1986.
The Greens achieved five promotions in nine seasons, earning promotion to the Victorian Premier League for the first time in 1996.
In 2010, the club’s home ground, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, underwent a $3 million upgrade, which included a 3300-capacity grandstand and improved lighting.
Four years later, Bentleigh reached the Semi Finals of the inaugural Westfield FFA Cup, only to be eliminated by Hyundai A-League side Perth Glory.
The Greens won their maiden league championship in 2015, defeating South Melbourne in the final to lift the PS4 NPL Victoria title.
Led by head coach John Anastasiadis, who is the brother of Victory goalkeeping coach Dean Anastasiadis, Bentleigh has enjoyed an impressive 2016 campaign.
After winning the FFV Community Shield and the Dockerty Cup earlier in the season, the Greens finished six points clear on top of the PS4 NPL Victoria table.
But recent losses to Oakleigh Cannons in the PS4 NPL Victoria Semi Finals and Edgeworth Eagles in the PS4 National Premier Leagues Elimination Finals have been disappointing.
The Greens have looked sharp in this year’s Westfield FFA Cup, beating South Australia’s MetroStars and Tasmania’s Devonport Strikers to reach the last eight.
The club has several players with Hyundai A-League experience, including Ross Archibald (Melbourne City), Josh Brindell-South (Wellington Phoenix), Chris Lucas (Gold Coast United) and Luke Pilkington (Melbourne Victory).
Victory fans will remember Pilkington as the winner of Football Superstar, the reality television series that aired on FOX8 in 2009.
Former Victory youth team players John Maclean and Kieran Dover are also at Bentleigh and will be out to impress against their former club.
Tickets for Victory’s Westfield FFA Cup Quarter Final against Bentleigh are available by clicking here.
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