A 1-0 win at Macedonia Park on Sunday confirmed Kemblawarra Fury as Illawarra Mercury Premier League Champions for 2016. Fabian Iacovelli’s second half strike was enough to earn the Fury the three points they needed to ensure that nearest challengers Bulli would not be able to catch them in the final Round of the regular season next week.

For Fury coach Luke Maguire, in charge of a newly-formed club for 2016, “It’s great for the club, for the supporters and for the club officials who have put in such hard work to make this happen.”

He wouldn’t be drawn on his hopes for the Finals series which now beckons: “We’ll just keep working hard to give ourselves every opportunity in the Finals.”

One team the Fury won’t have to contend with in that Finals series is Wollongong United. Last season’s Grand Final winners went into this match knowing that Picton’s win on Saturday meant United would miss out this year.

With nothing riding on this fixture for his team, Coach Oliver Vritkovski brought in a number of Youth Grade players for their first Premier League outing, and one of them – Dylan Chaplin – was quickly in on the action forcing a save out of David Poeira in the Fury goal before a minute of football had been played.

With 15 minutes gone, Chaplin had the chance for a dream start to his IPL career. Tim Wylie sent the ball across the face of goal after good work from Klime Sekutkoski and the newcomer found himself in front of goal just six yards out, but his shot bounced off the upright with Poeira beaten. It was the closest United would come to scoring all afternoon.

The Fury, meantime, were settling into the game slowly. They struggled in early set-pieces to get the ball past the Brooks brothers in the centre of United’s defence. But captain Alvin Ceccoli set up their best chances in the first period.

In the 25^th minute, he sent a trademark long ball right into the path of Nathan Jagelman, who chipped the ball over Sam Nastic in the United goal but had to watch as his shot drifted agonisingly wide of the post for a goal kick. Minutes later, another beauty from Ceccoli was floated into the area, where Cameron Morgan raced in to go for goal, but it was Sam Munro whose shot was blocked finally by a United defender.

Ceccoli was also looking at his best marshalling his back line alongside the Rhodes brothers. When Moto Kinjo sent in a menacing cross from the left, with Ben Brooks waiting at the far post, it was the Fury captain who calmly cleared up to keep the scores level as half time approached.

With just minutes to go to the break, there were chances at both ends. Sekutkoski came close for United before Jagelman saw a superb shot fly inches over the bar at the other end.

An even first half saw the two sides go in at 0-0.

Iacovelli came on for Brenton Rhodes after the break and almost immediately had the impact Maguire was looking for.

Fury’s first chance of the second stanza fell to Munro, though. He collected a David Hartas cross with his back to goal and tried a dramatic scissors kick which Nastic had to tip over.

The decisive goal was not long in coming, though. In the 51^st minute, Shane Murray sent a ball in from the right, with Iacovelli waiting at the far post to tap home for his fourth goal of the season to give his Fury side a vital 1-0 lead.

With the title in their sights, the Fury looked the more likely to score again as the game wore on.

Jagelman set himself up on the edge of the area and brought out a fingertip save from Nastic and it was Jagelman again who watched his shot fly just wide of the upright minutes later.

United did little to threaten the Fury goal in the second half. When Sekutkoski sent a shot just wide of the post in the 70^th minute, it was United’s first attempt on goal of the second period.

Ben Brooks kept the score at 0-1 with a header off the line after a goalmouth scramble, but the Fury had the goal they needed, and United didn’t look likely to deny them this time.

Robbie Shields began warming up on the touchline with moments remaining, but he is not fully fit from injury yet and Maguire revealed after the game that he is hoping to have him back for the Finals series. He was fit enough to join the celebrations among the Fury squad when the whistle blew for full time.

The win gives Kemblawarra Fury a five point cushion at the top with one game remaining. It also guarantees Maguire’s side a week off from football as the four teams below them fight it out in two weeks’ time. For the final game of the regular season, the Fury will face Port Kembla at Albert Butler Memorial Park next Sunday.

United coach Oliver Vrtkovski took positives out of the game in spite of the result: “With nothing hanging on the game for us, it was an opportunity to push some youth players up to first grade. It was fantastic to see those younger players step up and match some of the league’s top players this afternoon. We hit the woodwork early on and had four or five chances, so it could have been a very different result, but I’m just pleased for our young players’ performances today.”

Wollongong United - 0

Kemblawarra Fury – 1 (Iacovelli 51’)

Macedonia Park, Sunday 21 August 2016

Referee: Steve Bozic
Assistant referees: Stuart Bell, Emmogen Crawley

Wollongong United: Sam Nastic, Daisuke Yuzawa, Ben Brooks, Jackson Brooks, Moto Kinjo, Jake Leighton (Matt Lynch 78’), Dylan Chaplin, Karouna Michael (Chris Cakarovski 84’), Tim Wylie, Klime Sekutkoski, Jesse Davies (Johnny Martinoski 64’) (subs not used: Nick Ristevski, Josh Hurt)

Kemblawarra Fury: David Poeira, Lachlan O’Connor, Tyson Rhodes, Shane Murray, Brenton Rhodes (Fabian Iacovelli 45’), David Hartas, Nathan Jagelman, Alvin Ceccoli, Matthew McNab (Kyle Kirkland 88’), Cameron Morgan, Sam Munro (subs not used: Josh Mears, David Zufic, Robbie Shields)

Report by Simon Duffin

Photo courtesy of Nichole Mears