Saturday 4 May

Wollongong United vs Fernhill FC @ Macedonia Park – 2:30pm

Wollongong United were unable to solidify their spot in the top five last round, going down 2-0 to league leaders Tarrawanna at Tarrawanna Oval on Sunday, leaving Icko Atanasoski’s side sitting in sixth place after Bulli overtook the side. Wollongong United also bowed out of the FFA Cup on Wednesday night after a late 3-2 defeat to NPL 1 side Rockdale City Suns, so a return to winning ways is a must for the squad.

Fernhill also fell to defeat last round, being swept away by a 3-0 defeat to Port Kembla on Saturday, leaving the club in 10^th position. A win for the Foxes could potentially move them past Woonona and Coniston, but results will need to fall the right way for Bruce Tilt’s side.

Fernhill struggled against Wollongong United when these sides faced off during the 2018 league campaign - with United winning 3-1 and 4-1 and Wollongong United will be hoping for a similar result this time around to help their top five aspirations.

Prediction – Wollongong United

Wollongong Olympic vs Tarrawanna Blueys @ PCYC – 2:30pm

The match of the round sees 2^nd placed Wollongong Olympic take on league leaders Tarrawanna in a match that will have big connotations for the top five. Olympic enter the match off the back of a 4-1 win over South Coast United in what was a return to form for George Antoniou’s side, moving them within two points of the Blueys on the ladder.

Meanwhile the Blueys enter the match in a mixture of form, having downed Wollongong United 2-0 last round thanks to goals from Rick Goodchild and Mitchell Ferraro, but also being dismissed from the FFA Cup after a 3-1 loss to NPL 3 side Dulwich Hill – who previously dispatched Wollongong Olympic on penalties two weeks earlier - on Wednesday night. A Blueys win could see the side open up a big lead over the rest of the chasing sides, but a loss could see them fall to 4^th if results fail to go their way.

Olympic dominated the fixtures between the two sides last season, running up nine goals to Tarrawanna’s two, but this season it feels like the fixture could fall either way.

Prediction – Draw

Port Kembla FC vs Bulli FC @ Wetherall Park – 2:30pm

Port Kembla have been one of the form sides in recent weeks, picking up a pair of 3-0 wins over Tarrawanna and Fernhill to move the side into 3^rd place on the ladder. A win for Steven Dimitrievski’s squad could put Port Kembla into top spot if Tarrawanna and Olympic draw.

Bulli meanwhile enter the match having ended their two-match losing streak thanks to a 2-1 win over Cringila Lions – with goals to Rui Kamada and Brendan Pattman enough to overturn a first-half deficit – but Matt Bailey’s side also saw the door in the FFA Cup on Wednesday night, going down 4-2 to NPL 2 side Bonnyrigg White Eagles at Balls Paddock. A win for Bulli could see the side potentially take 2^nd spot if things go their way but a loss could see them drop out of the top five.

The match will be a sombre one after the passing of Port Kembla U20s keeper Colin Heapy over the weekend, as the footballing community rallies around the Heapy family during this tough time.

Prediction – Bulli

Albion Park White Eagles vs Woonona FC @ Terry Reserve – 3pm

Albion Park fans will still be riding the wave of emotion that followed the White Eagles completion of a stunning comeback against Corrimal Rangers last Sunday, overturning what was at one point a three-goal deficit to win 5-4 despite being one man down for a bulk of the encounter. Paul Carter’s side was able to move into the discussion for top spot as a result of the victory, with a win over Woonona potentially pushing Albion Park into the top two if results go their way.

Meanwhile, Woonona are coming into the match off the back of a pair of losses, with a 5-0 pumping by Coniston in the league last Saturday followed with an exit from the FFA Cup on Wednesday night, with the Sharks losing 3-0 to NPL 1 side Sydney United 58. Dan McGoldrick’s side currently sits in 9^th spot after six matches and a good result for the Sharks could see them keep in touch with a top five position.

Woonona last managed to get over Albion Park in the league back in June 2015 with a lone Cameron Banks goal providing the difference for the Sharks as well as a pre-season cup match triumph. However, Albion Park will be feeling that they can do almost anything after their comeback win last weekend and Paul Carter’s side will be hoping to carry that momentum through their clash with the Sharks.

Prediction – Albion Park

South Coast United vs Coniston FC @ Ian McLennan Park – 6:30pm

South Coast United did not have the best run out last round against 2^nd placed Wollongong Olympic, going down in a 4-1 defeat to keep the side locked in 11^th place on the ladder. Greg Valic’s side could grab some much needing breathing room over Cringila with a result over Coniston and could potentially overtake Fernhill if results fall their way.

However, Coniston enter the match off the back of a 5-0 thrashing over Woonona, with a Dinko Terzic hat-trick and goals to Michael Cimino and Matthew Poposki helping Coniston overtake the Sharks to sit in 8^th on the ladder. Jeff Allport’s side will be looking to make their mid-table position a lot more secure with a win over SCU and potentially open up a five-point gap from the bottom three with a win.

It was South Coast United who picked up all three points when these sides last faced back in July 2013, with a brace to Dinko Terzic helping SCU run out 4-0 winners over Coniston Lions. But with Terzic now on the opposite side, he could be crucial in helping Coniston grab a much needed three points against SCU.

Prediction – Coniston

Sunday 5 May

Corrimal Rangers vs Cringila Lions @ Memorial Park – 3pm

Corrimal were left heart-broken last round after two goals in the final moments of the match saw the side fall to a 5-4 loss to Albion Park at Memorial Park on Sunday, with the side unable secure the three points and a result dropping to 7^th on the ladder. Robert Jonovski’s side will be looking to return to winning ways instantly and could move into the top five if results fall their way.

Meanwhile Cringila put in a solid performance but were still unable to grab a point against Bulli in a 2-1 defeat at Crehan Park, with the Lions taking the lead through Alex Mojsoski before two second half goals handed Bulli all three points. Zivko Jovanovski’s squad currently sits bottom of the Premier League with just a single point to their name, but a result over Corrimal could push them past South Coast United.

The Corrimal-Cringila fixture was an entertaining one to watch last season - with an average of six goals a match between the two sides – and with Corrimal determined to return to winning ways and Cringila determined to move off the bottom of the ladder, we could see another high scoring affair this time around.

Prediction – Corrimal

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

File Photo: Pedro Garcia