District League Round 5 Preview

The fourth round of the WGC Cranes District League threw up some unexpected results on Good Friday. Berkeley and Helensburgh kick started their seasons with their first wins of their campaigns, Bellambi pushed Warilla all the way and Coniston needed a late penalty to earn a point against Oak Flats.

Easter Monday also saw the final of the District League Fraternity Cup final where the league's top two sides clashed with Fernhill coming out champions with a 1-0 win over Coniston. Now we look ahead to a compelling round of fixtures that could see some movement at the top of the table.

Match of the round

Thirroul Thunder vs Coniston FC at Thomas Gibson Park, kick off 3 pm, Saturday 22nd of April

Thirroul plays in the third match of the round in a row after two close defeats to big guns Warilla and Fernhill. Garth Bowley’s side plays a blood and thunder brand of football which makes them a difficult prospect for any side. The key to their success is things clicking up front and with seven different scorers already the potential is certainly there.

Coniston scrapped a point in the dying stages against an underrated Oak Flats side. This was made worse by a 1-0 defeat to Fernhill in the Fraternity Cup final three days later, in a disjointed display where their star players failed to perform. On the bright side, Alex Makin has made an earlier than expected comeback from injury with two games under his belt, he will be worth a few points come season’s end.

Thirroul has consistently been a tough side to face and they have continued to be dogged this season which could bag them a point against a Coniston side that needs to recompose themselves.

Prediction - Draw

Saturday 22nd of April (all kick offs are at 3 pm)

Berkeley Sports vs University FC at Berkeley Sports and Social Club

The pressure was slowly building on Berkeley after three straight league defeats to start the season. However, the valve was released with a 1-0 win over Wests, a clean sheet and a win moving them off the bottom of the table.

University backed up their solid win over Wests with an impressive 1-0 away win over Balgownie. The biggest upside for the Students was their ability to keep a clean sheet, their first in nine league matches (coincidently their last clean sheet came in a 2-0 win over Berkeley in round 15 last season).

Berkeley has a rigid defence but lack goals and University have infamous issues at the back but are capable going forward. The saying goes, goals win you games and defence wins you championships - but still, I struggle to pick these two teams apart.

Prediction - Draw

Kiama Quarriers vs Oak Flats Falcons at Kiama Sporting Complex

Kiama has been the hardest team to get a read of this season. They had a strong showing in a 3-2 defeat to Coniston backed up by a draw against Balgownie but a 3-2 loss to Helensburgh, who had yet to earn a point, raises concerns. Having conceded eight goals already doesn’t make for good reading.

The Falcons sit in 6th place after their opening four matches. This doesn’t tell the full story of a strong start to the season including a comeback win over Berkeley plus a draw against Warilla and Coniston. In the later against Coniston, they held the lead until a late penalty stole away the three points.

I expect Oak Flats to pick up their second win of the season however as mentioned, Kiama has been hard to get a read on…

Prediction - Oak Flats

Warilla Wanderers vs Wests Illawarra at King Mickey Park

Warilla backed up their 3-2 win over Bellambi on Good Friday with a big win over Helensburgh on Tuesday night. The Wanderers ran riot, racking up a 7-2 win at Rex Jackson Park which perches them at the top of the league. Any concerns people had over whether Warilla were a title threat have evaporated now with Barney King’s side the league’s top scorers with 15 goals.

Wests came back to the winner's circle on Wednesday night with a 1-0 win over languishing Balgownie. The Devils have been inconsistent this season with disappointing defeats to Berkeley and University bookmarked by the Balgownie win and their opening day thumping of Bellambi. Wests sit on 10 goals for the season but with 8 of them coming against Bellambi, Arthur Kinnas will want to see improvement up front.

This week is a bad time to be facing the Wanderers as they are beginning to flex their muscle and it will take an almighty effort by Wests to stop Warilla from getting the 3 points.

Prediction - Warilla

Fernhill Foxes vs Bellambi Rosellas at Ray Robinson Field

The mighty Foxes claimed the first piece of silverware on offer this season - the Fraternity Cup. This compliments their exceptional start to the season with 3 wins, 8 goals for and 0 against. Fernhill’s tremendous defensive structure combined with the talismanic talents of Andy Keep and Ilija Prenzoski is enough to strike fear into any District League outfit.

Bellambi backed up their 2-0 win with a creditable showing against District League heavyweights Warilla. A 79th-minute penalty saves from Warilla keeper Valon Rizvani denying them what would have been a huge point. The Rosellas face Fernhill and Coniston in their next two, a point from those will be a decent return.

Fernhill is a class above Warilla so it’ll take an incredible effort for Bellambi to pull off a result. The Foxes will need to be wary complacency after their Fraternity Cup win.

Prediction - Fernhill

Helensburgh Thistle vs Balgownie Rangers at Rex Jackson Park

The Burgh's season caught a flicker of hope on Good Friday with a decent 3-2 win at home to Kiama. This spark was quickly extinguished on Tuesday night when they hosted Warilla who put 7 goals past them in a 7-2 rout. They have now conceded 17 goals, the most in the league but Brad Boardman will take some solace knowing his side has only been held scoreless once (against a currently impenetrable Fernhill).

Balgownie has been the biggest disappointment so far. The Rangers have picked up just a point from their opening four matches which has them at the foot of the table. In their last two games, they have been held to 1-0 defeats indicating an issue up front which should not be the case with the attacking options at James Dummett’s disposal.

Both teams are desperate for a win to push them up the table. Balgownie has the potential to get a comfortable win here if their key players perform.

Prediction - Balgownie

Preview by Dylan Arvela on Twitter @dylanarvela