Round 3 Preview

The Illawarra Mercury Premier League moves into its third week with another set of mouth-watering ties ahead of us. Round 2 saw a total of 21 goals across the six matches, with at least three goals in every game. Tarrawanna Blueys lead the pack at this stage as the only team to gain maximum points from the first two rounds. At the bottom, three clubs have yet to get a point. It’s still early stages, though the top five slots are already held by teams that many predicted would be there or thereabouts by the end of the season.

Match of the round

Wollongong Olympic v Bulli FC @ PCYC, Wollongong – kick-off 2.30pm, Saturday 9 April

Both sides have a win and a draw to their name from the opening two rounds, but it’s the style of football they’ve both been playing so far this season that makes this the most tantalising tie of Round 3.

Olympic have started the season well, thrashing Port Kembla at Wetherall Park last weekend and very nearly beating the IPL Champions Wollongong United on the opening day. Rob Birkin has instilled belief among his squad to go alongside the passion that was always there, and with the likes of Yusuke Ueda and Wandi Jajaw up front, they will always be a threat.

Bulli could hardly have had a tougher start to the season, holding the new Fury outfit to a draw in Round 1 and just overcoming the lively Albion Park White Eagles last weekend. To come to PCYC and face a fired-up Olympic will be their third big test in a row.

Ben McDonald and Julian Minutillo look as sharp as ever, though, and will no doubt challenge the Olympic defence. Bulli might just nick this one again in 2016, but surely not a repeat of last season’s 0-6 win when McDonald bagged a hat trick.

Other games on Saturday 9 April

Picton Rangers FC v Wollongong United @ Hume Oval kick-off 2.30pm

When a team gets promoted, it’s always psychologically important to get the first points on the board, and that’s what Picton achieved last weekend with a fine win over South Coast United. They will go into this game with a confidence boost, but they will also be realistic about their chances of repeating that 3-2 scoreline against a team like Wollongong United.

The 4-1 home defeat in Round 1 showed that Hume Oval may not be the fortress it was when the Rangers won the District League in 2015, but first day nerves may well have accounted for the severity of that defeat and I would expect Picton to give Wollongong United a fight this weekend.

United have already shown this season why they are reigning Champions, though, by hauling back a two goal deficit to Wollongong Olympic with fifteen minutes to play, and by clinically despatching Shell Cove last time out. There’s quality across the park among the United squad, but with six goals to their name in just two ties, it looks as though they may be on a scoring spree in 2016.

Prediction for this one: United to win by one or two.

 

Shell Cove FC v Port Kembla @ Barrack Heights Sportsfield – kick-off 2.30pm

Both sides will be smarting from heavy defeats last weekend.

After their fine win over South Coast United in Round 1, Shell Cove were brought back down to earth with a bump last weekend, being on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing by Wollongong United.

Port Kembla have yet to kick-start their season, sitting on the bottom of the ladder after two defeats in which they’ve failed even to hit the net once in 180 minutes of football.

So this may be a nervous affair, pitching Paul Carter’s youngsters against Stuart Beedie’s mixed squad of new and old who have yet to gel this term.

Shell Cove will be buoyed by the return of goalscorer from Round 1 Daniel Vellonio, who missed last week after his red card on the opening day. But I fancy Port Kembla captain Peter Richardson to use his experience and marshal a defence that may stem that Shell Cove flow.

Last season’s tie ended 1-1 and that’s my prediction for this weekend too.

 

Sunday 10 April

Cringila Lions v Albion Park White Eagles @ Crehan Park – kick-off 2.30pm

With new coaches on board for both teams, there’s a new look and a new style of football being played by both of them. Cringila may have no points on the board after two games, but the way they held the Fury for 92 minutes last weekend suggests they will not be a pushover in any tie this season.

Lions coach Jason Higgs doesn’t want his sides to sit back and defend against the top teams, though his back three defended very effectively against the Fury’s front line, so with the White Eagles’ flowing, attacking style, this could be a really entertaining fixture in 2016.

Cringila are a big side physically, and used that to great effect against the Fury, but it will be interesting to see how they cope with the lively, creative play of White Eagles newcomer Shohei Okuna, who has blended in superbly with the likes of Jack Balmforth and Shaun Mcrae. Those two scored in last season’s 2-5 win for the White Eagles in the same fixture, when the visitors came back from 2-0 down.

With such a different feel around the Cringila club this year, there will surely be no repeat of last season’s result, but I fancy Albion Park to edge this one by one goal.

 

Kemblawarra Fury v Woonona FC @ Albert Butler Memorial Park– kick-off 2.30pm

When these two sides met in the Fraternity Cup a few weeks ago, Woonona held off the Fury for a good hour before going down to two goals from Fury target man Matthew McNab. There were a lot of positives for the Sharks in that defeat, with the team under new coach Brendan Anderson showing a new spirit that was lacking in 2015.

Woonona began the IPL season well with a 3-0 win over Cringila, and only fell to table-topping Tarrawanna by 2-1 at Tarrawanna Oval last weekend.

For a team with such attacking talent, Kemblawarra Fury have made a bit of a stuttering start to the 2016 IPL season. They failed to find the net against Bulli and left it very late to see off Cringila last week.

I think the scare of almost dropping home points to Cringila in Round 2 will actually fire up the Fury front line to perform better this week and the Sharks may be the victims this time. I predict the Fury to win this by two.

South Coast United FC v Tarrawanna Blueys @ Ian McLellan Park – kick-off 3.00pm

Only goal difference keeps South Coast United off the foot of the table after two defeats in two matches this season, but this is as near as you’ll get this weekend to a Bottom v Top tie.

The home side will take comfort from the fact that they have found the net three times in those two matches, though they will have been disappointed not to peg back ten-man Shell Cove in the opener. Last season’s top scorer Liam Unicomb is not yet back to 100% fitness, but if he can team up his speed with the strength of fellow striker Robbie Brown, this may be United’s best hope.

They will be up against a Blueys side that will be bursting with confidence after two good wins in the opening rounds. Peter Willis has managed to blend his youngsters brought in from the Wollongong Wolves set-up with some of Tarrawanna’s mainstays like Rick Goodchild, and the Blueys machine is working well.

This could be a third win in three for the Blueys.

By Simon Duffin