Finals Week 3

Congratulations to Albion Park White Eagles (1^st Grade), Wollongong United (Youth Grade) and Wollongong Olympic (Under 18s) who all booked their places for a day out at the WIN Stadium on Grand Finals day on Sunday 25 September.

This weekend, we find out who they’ll be playing and it’s a mark of the breadth of talent across the clubs that this weekend’s IPL Preliminary Finals feature five more FSC clubs. Only Wollongong Olympic has the chance of seeing two teams represented at the WIN Stadium on Grand Finals weekend from the Illawarra Premier League teams (Helensburgh Thistle, whose Under-18s are featured in this preview, can also have two teams there, along with Fernhill from the District League, who could still see three teams line up on Grand Finals day).

Penalties played a massive part in last weekend’s 1^st Grade action, with Wollongong Olympic holding their nerve against Bulli in the penalty shoot-out, and the White Eagles taking the other semi-final on the only goal against the Fury: also a penalty. I’m sure all coaches involved will be hoping for more goals in open play this weekend…or they may have no more nails to bite on by Grand Finals day.

All matches scheduled for Sunday 18 September

First Grade

Preliminary Final

Kemblawarra Fury FC v Wollongong Olympic @ Crehan Park – kick-off 2.30pm

If Wollongong Olympic can win this one, they may fancy their chances of adding to their silverware collection for 2016, as they showed both last week in the penalty shoot-out and in the Bampton Cup Final that they can raise their game and hold their nerve on the big occasion.

Defence has been key to their success, with the big presence of Jack Keating and Jake Duczynski leading the way, and both moving forward for set-pieces.

Robbie Shields and Matthew McNab look like spearheading the Fury attack and they both scored when their side thrashed Olympic 3-0 back in Round 6, but that was a different Olympic side then. They were the team I called Jekyll & Hyde, with the concentration just as likely to switch off half way through a game. But they have become very consistent since those early rounds of the IPL season, and although they lost the return leg to an injury time header from Alvin Ceccoli, I reckon neither of those defeats will count for much when the sides run out on Sunday.

Yusuke Ueda showed at the weekend why he is Olympic’s top scorer in 2016. He’ll be the main front man again, though Kyle Hazebroek, Sam Gordon and captain Brendan Fordham are also a threat if they get a sniff of the goal.

For the Fury, a lot may depend on the creative play of Ceccoli and the distribution from Shane Murray and Sam Munro in midfield. Fabian Iacovelli down the left flank and Nathan Jagelman can also pose a threat for Olympic.

I’m going to go for a Fury win by a single goal, but the way Olympic have been playing recently, it wouldn’t surprise me if they took this tie, even on penalties.

Reserve Grade

Preliminary Final

Bulli FC v Woonona FC @ Crehan Park – kick-off 12.15pm

Woonona beat Bulli only a couple of weeks ago on the last day of the regular season. Jesse Kennedy got both goals in the Sharks’ 2-1 win that day. Since the Finals series began, though, Caleb Russell has been the star scorer for Woonona, with five goals in their two matches so far. With 11 goals to his name all season now, he’s challenging Kyle Del and Joel Beattie for the Sharks Youth Grade top scorer mantle.

Nikolas Micevski remains Bulli’s top goal man for 2016 and he scored one of his side’s three goals in their defeat to Wollongong United last weekend. But Bulli can also call on the likes of Lewis Clements and Jared Fish who both stepped up to First Grade last week, but are eligible having played most of the season for the Youth side. Woonona will also have to watch for Marcus Beattie, who nabbed his 11^th goal of the season last weekend, and Bradley Strudwick, who got his 8^th goal against Wollongong United. So the Sharks know Bulli’s goal threat can come from many quarters.

The key to this game could be defence. Bulli’s back line may have taken a battering against a dominant Wollongong United side last week, but over the whole 22 Round regular season they only let in 16 goals. As long as confidence has not been shattered by last week’s defeat, I expect them to regroup and come through this tie. The question then would be how to reorganise for a rematch against Wollongong United. But then Woonona may fancy a crack at the Youth Grade League Champions themselves, so you never know…

Under-18s

Preliminary Final

Tarrawanna Blueys v Helensburgh Thistle @ Crehan Park - kick-off 10.15pm

Tarrawanna Blueys won the Under-18s Div 1 ladder so might be expected to win this one, with Helensburgh Thistle finishing only 4^th, but the Division was very tight to the end and the Finals series is very different from the long haul of the regular season.

Helensburgh go into this Preliminary Final on a bit of a run, having won their last five matches, including last weekend’s impressive 4-2 defeat of Bulli. Thistle’s last loss was actually to this weekend’s opponents. They lost 1-0 on home ground that time, but beat the Blueys at Tarrawanna Oval earlier in the season, so have nothing to fear.

Will Matthews scored two of the Thistle’s goals against Bulli last week and also got one against the Blueys in that earlier win, so Tarrawanna would do well to keep an eye on him, as well as Thistle’s top scorer for the season Daniel Thompson, who also scored against them during the regular season.

For the Blueys, there is goalscoring talent across the squad, with 11 players sharing their 42 goals tally for the regular season. Wesley Van Kempen is top scorer with eight, and one of his was the only goal in that Blueys win over the Thistle a few weeks ago. Watch out also for Samuel Miranda (6 goals in 2016) and Julio Mushaba (5 goals)

Tarrawanna’s greatest strength, and what could tip this tie in their favour, has been their resolute defence. In the league, they conceded only 19 goals in 22 games. They were up against the division’s best attack when they went down 2-0 to Olympic last weekend in the semis. Helensburgh had the second highest goal tally for the 2016 season, and they have already put four past the Blueys defence, so that tussle could be key to the outcome here.

This will be extremely tight, but I fancy the Blueys to book a place at the WIN for their Under-18s.

Report by Simon Duffin
Photo courtesy of Kiah Hufton