Round 1 Preview

After a six month break, we were all looking forward to the start of the Illawarra Mercury Premier League, and Round 1 where there were several mouth-watering match-ups.

Sadly, the weather forced the postponement of the Fraternity Club Cup and it has not got any better. We have all but the South Coast game even at this stage washed out.

These matches will be rescheduled shortly so it looks like it is going to be busy next few weeks if the weather can hold out.

 

Friday 24 March

 

Cringila Lions v Wollongong Olympic @ Crehan Park

WASHED OUT

 

Saturday 25 March

Bulli FC v Kemblawarra Fury FC @ Balls Paddock

WASHED OUT

 

 

Picton Rangers v Tarrawanna Blueys @ Hume Oval

WASHED OUT

 

Wollongong United v Albion Park White Eagles @ Macedonia Park

WASHED OUT

 

Sunday 26 March

Corrimal Rangers v Port Kembla FC @ Memorial Park,

WASHED OUT

 

South Coast United v Woonona Sharks FC @ Ian McLellan Park – kick-off 3.00pm

(Pending further pitch inspection)

When these sides met in 2016, both of them managed away wins, cancelling each other out over the course of the season. They were neck and neck in the ladder too come the end of the season, with Woonona taking ninth spot by a single point; the two teams even scored the same number of goals over the 22 rounds.

So there was not much to choose between them in 2016.

Over the summer, there has been a bit of an exodus from South Coast United, leaving them severely weakened as the campaign for 2017 kicks off. A loss in this opening fixture might not seem a disaster on paper, but there will be a lot more difficult fixtures than this one on the horizon for Greg Valic’s side, so defeat in Round 1 would not bode well for his United team. And there were not too many positive signs coming out of the pre-season Fraternity Cup. If anyone can lift a side, though, and lead from the back, it is Valic.

Geoff Foster’s Woonona side will fancy their chances here. They had a creditable Fraternity Cup campaign, with new boys up front Daniel Atkins and Luke McCosker both getting their names on the scoresheet in the three pool games.

Three points for Woonona is my tip for this one.

By Simon Duffin