Corrimal Rangers have hit the lead outright following Helensburgh's slip up last weekend with Thirroul quietly going about their business and inconspicously climbing into second spot. Warilla Wanderers are also lurking thereabouts. 

MATCH OF THE ROUND
Helensburgh Thistle v Corrimal Rangers - Saturday 7 May @ Rex Jackson Oval - 3.00pm
After starting the season with four straight wins, Helensburgh have buckled a little bit following their draw against Thirroul and loss last week to Berkeley. The free flowing scoring that we have become used to seems to have disappeared with the Thistle scoring just once in the last 2 games. They are not in the best of form going into such a crucial match however rest assured, they will be up for the challenge this week.

Corrimal sit at the top of the ladder three points clear however despite beating Bellambi 4-0 last week, the Rangers were also far from their fluent selves. They were wasteful in front of goal and they can ill afford to do that this week. Mark Picciolini scored 2 more goals on the weekend taking his tally to 7 goals in 6 matches. The Burgh will also need to pay special attention to Dom McGill and Save Treneski in what has been a formidable trio for the Rangers.

Corrimal could start to skip away with three points here however I think Helensburgh at home after after their recent performances will be hungry and looking to bounce back. Corrimal will start as favourites however I think this one might just end 1-1.

Other games:

Bellambi v Fernhill  Saturday 7 May @ Elizabeth Park - 3.00pm
Bellambi are rooted to the bottom of the table having lost their first six matches and they will be desperate to get their season rolling. Being relegated always throws up new challenges however for Bellambi, they have virtually needed to rebuild. They will need to start to pick up points soon before they find themselves in further relegation battles.

They face a Fernhill side that's coming off a 3-0 win at University where Scott Muilwyk bagged a brace. Lee White is back for the foxes this week having served his suspension. Fernhill currently sit in sixth place and they will need to win these games if they are a genuine chance at promotion.

It's hard to see anything but a win for Fernhill however we have seen some big upsets over the last couple of weeks. Fernhill by 2 for me.

Oak Flats Falcons v Berkeley Sports     Saturday 7 May @ Keith Bond Oval - 3.00pm
Here are two teams traveling in the opposition direction. Oak Flats started the season with aplomb with wins over Warilla, University and Bellambi however they haven't won since. They have played some tough opposition of late however they only have one point in their last three games and this return is not enough to keep them in the top 5 at the moment. They will need to stop the rot and get points this week otherwise they could find themselves a long way back from the leading pack.

Berkeley Sports on the other hand have had somewhat of a resurrection. After having scored just once in their first four games, Berkeley have scored five in their last two matches. Importantly, they have also kept a clean sheet the last two weeks. They managed to knock off Helensburgh last week in what was a well deserved win. Dylan Evans and Greg Moon scoring in each half to put the game to bed.

Two weeks ago, I would have tipped Oak Flats however looking at their current form, you got to say that Berkeley would probably start as favourites here. They will be full of confidence going into this match and I am tipping Berkeley by a single goal in this one.

Warilla Wanderers v Balgownie   Saturday 7 May @ King Mickey Park - 3.00pm
Warilla have had a stuttered start to their season however despite trailing at one point last week against Wests Illawarra, the Wanderers were never really headed in a comprehensive 5-2 win. Warilla are considered as serious championship contenders and if they are to be that, they will have to take maximum points off teams like Balgownie. They've certainly got the quality with Gaffney and Walker firing at the moment. There is some speculation that Warilla could be adding some further names to their roster which could further improve their chances. We shall have to wait and see how this pans out.

Balgownie led Kiama 2-0 last week only to concede three goals in 15 minutes to turn the game on it's head and lose 3-2. They will be kicking themselves about the one that got away. They can ill afford to be this fragile against Warilla this week. A loss here will see the Rangers firmly in the bottom half of the table and a mountain of work to do to turn things around.

Warilla is expected to be too strong in this one and with competition for places in the Wanderers, I expect them to win well. I am thinking 4-1.

University v Wests Illawarra    Saturday 7 May @ Koolobong Oval - 3.00pmIn the opening 6 rounds, these two sides have produced just a win and a draw between them so far as they sit 10th and 11th on the league table. These are not positions one expected from these two sides heading into the season so perhaps both sides have underachieved so far.

Koolobong Oval is normally a bit of a fortress for University however this year, it sems to have been a disadvantage as Uni has lost their three home games all by big margins. They are leaking goals each week averaging over 3 per game. It's difficult to win any games at that rate. They've not fared much better on the offensive end either with just 5 goals this campaign and none in their last three.

Wests Illawarra had a fabulous pre-season however things have not quite gone to plan for new coach Arthur Kinnas. Wests did managed to lead Warilla last week however their defensive frailties were evident as they leaked 5 goals. Against mid table teams, Wests Illawarra have been competitive with Nik Totarella and Paul Burleigh constant menances for opposing defences however they will need to tighten uptheir defence if they are to add to their tally of one point. 

Neither side is high on confidence and there should be goals in this game. I am expecting Wests Illawarra to get their first win of the season with a 3-1 win.

Thirroul Thunder v Kiama Quarriers    Saturday 7 May @ Thomas Gibson Park - 3.00pm
This should also be a hum-dinger of a game although I don't think we;ll see many goals. Thirroul ground out a narrow and hard fought 1-0 win over Oak Flats last week and the win sees them climb to second spot. Ryan Latini scoring the decisive goal last week. They have been somewhat flying under the radar and they face another huge challenge this week.

As mentioned earlier, Kiama came from 2 goals down to beat Balgownie and this is the second time this year they have managed to get a result from 2-0 down after their 2-2 draw with Fernhill in Round 2. The Quarrieres sit in fifth position at the moment and it's been a while since they made the finals. They have also qualified for round 3 of the Bampton Cup which is something they haven't managed to do in some time.

This is a tough one to pick as the result could go either way. I will sit on the fence though with this one and tip a 1-1 draw.