ILLAWARRA MERCURY PREMIER LEAGUE – ROUND 9 PREVIEW

Saturday 18 May

Coniston FC vs Fernhill FC @ JJ Kelly Park – 2:30pm

Coniston will be seeking to make it four league wins on the trot when they host Fernhill at JJ Kelly Park on Saturday, with Jeff Allport’s side now only two points outside the top five after goals to Kody Maude, Matt Tschentscher and Rob Brown helped the side to a 3-2 win over Tarrawanna last Saturday. It’s been a strong return to form for Coniston, who also advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Bert Bampton Cup for the first time since 2013 with a 4-1 win over District League side Warilla Wanderers on Sunday.

Meanwhile their opponents in Fernhill will be looking to return to winning ways and push away from the bottom of the table with a result over Coniston. Bruce Tilt’s side has lost three straight matches – including a 1-0 loss to Wollongong Olympic on Saturday - and have only found the net once since their Round 5 victory over Bulli, leaving the Foxes sitting in 10^th with a three-point gap between them and anyone else on the ladder.

With the sides the two most recent promotions from the District League, this match will be a test to see who has settled into Premier League life the fastest, and while Fernhill will be hoping to maintain their recent history over Coniston – where the Foxes went unbeaten against Coniston during their clashes in the 2017 District League campaign – Coniston’s form suggests that the Foxes will be on the back-foot for this encounter.

Prediction – Coniston

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

It has been a mixed week for Wollongong United, with a Billy Tsovolos strike helping the side grab a vital three points against Bulli in a 1-0 win on Saturday to send the side back into the top five. However, the weekend also saw the side crash out of the Bert Bampton Cup, with a rotated squad going down 2-0 to District League leaders Bellambi and handing Wollongong United their earliest Bert Bampton Cup exit since 2010. A win for United will see the side move into the top three at the expense of their opponents and could see the side keep pace with league leading Wollongong Olympic if results fall their way.

But their opponents in Port Kembla will be no easy pushover, with the side moving into second place on the ladder after goals to Brad Acev, Jayden Salucci, Toni Musumeci and a Sandy Lowcock hat-trick helped the side to a crushing 6-0 win over Cringila Lions on Sunday. Steven Dimitrievski’s side also backed up their strong league performance with a 4-0 win over fellow top-five side Albion Park White Eagles on Wednesday night in the Bert Bampton Cup Round of 16, sending the side into their first Quarter-final since 2015 in the process.

Wollongong United will be hoping to maintain their recent league record against Port Kembla, with the side having last lost to Port in the league back in July 2016 – with United racking up an impressive five wins in that time against Port Kembla including a 4-1 win in last season’s Elimination Final – but Port will be buoyed by their 2-1 win over United in the Preseason Cup back in February. With a crucial three points on the line, this match could go either way.

Prediction – Draw

Woonona FC vs Cringila Lions @ Ocean Park – 2:30pm

Woonona’s run of inconsistency continued last round, with the Sharks going down 5-2 to Corrimal at Ocean Park, leaving Dan McGoldrick’s side adrift in 9^th place, now five points behind 8^th-placed Bulli and three points ahead of Fernhill. The Sharks have not picked up three points since their Round 3 win over Port Kembla, with their recent form ricocheting between a loss and a draw in alternating weeks.

But while Cringila will no doubt take a draw against Woonona, the side will be looking to do better as they attempt to recover from a crushing 6-0 defeat to Port Kembla last Sunday and a 4-1 defeat to Tarrawanna in the Bert Bampton Cup on Tuesday night, leaving the side locked at the bottom of the ladder. While a win for the Lions will push the side past South Coast United, a draw against Woonona could also see Cringila move off the foot of the ladder if there is a four-goal swing against SCU this weekend.

It is worth noting that Cringila took all six points when facing off against the Sharks last season, with the Lions’ wins against Woonona making up a third of their total points haul from last season and while Cringila will likely need to do the same again, Woonona should have the quality about them this time around to hold off the Lions and pick up an vital three points of their own.

Prediction – Woonona

Wollongong Olympic vs Bulli FC @ PCYC – 2:30pm

One of the more interesting clashes in the round sees the league-leading Wollongong Olympic host defending champions Bulli in what is shaping up to be an interesting clash at PCYC. George Antoniou’s side struggled to get over Fernhill last round – eking out a slim 1-0 win thanks to a Yusuke Ueda strike – but the side have opened up a three-point gap at the top of the ladder with the result and will be looking to extend their stay at the top with a win over Bulli.

Meanwhile Matt Bailey’s side fell to their third defeat of their 2019 campaign – the first time Bulli have lost three matches in a campaign since 2015 - last round with a slim 1-0 loss to Wollongong United, seeing the side drop out of the top five and fall to 8^th on the ladder but the side did manage to progress in the Bert Bampton Cup on Tuesday evening with a thumping 6-0 win over South Coast United. A win for Bulli would be vital for their efforts to keep in contact with the top five, but a loss for the side could see the side left behind in the race for the top five.

Both sides have played a huge part in the exciting title races of the past two seasons, with Bulli claiming top spot both times out over Olympic, but with Olympic last claiming bragging rights with a 1-0 win in the Preseason Cup, it appears the tide is changing and Olympic now have the chance to prove that this season could be their season with a result over their rivals of the past couple of seasons.

Prediction – Wollongong Olympic

Albion Park White Eagles vs Tarrawanna Blueys @ Terry Reserve – 3pm

Albion Park were in rare form last round, sending eight past SCU in a thumping 8-2 win on Saturday evening to move Paul Carter’s side into third, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the side in the past week, crashing out of the Bert Bampton Cup on Wednesday evening after a 4-0 loss to Port Kembla. A win could see Albion Park move into top spot if Port Kembla and Wollongong Olympic lose but a defeat to Tarrawanna could see the side drop out of the top five all-together.

But the Blueys appear to be losing the winning touch the side crafted over the opening stages of the campaign, with the side falling to their second straight defeat in a 3-2 defeat to Coniston on Saturday. The defeat saw Tarrawanna continue their drop down the ladder, with the Blueys now in 5^th place and now being forced to hold off a number of chasing sides, with a return to winning ways vital for Tarrawanna if the side wants to maintain their spot in the top five.

It is worth noting that the Blueys have not grabbed three points against Albion Park in the league since August 2014, with the White Eagles currently on an eight-match unbeaten streak against Tarrawanna. With the Blueys also on a downturn in form, it is going to require an extra special performance from the side to secure the three points against a strong Albion Park side.

Prediction – Albion Park

Sunday 19 May

Corrimal Rangers vs South Coast United @ Memorial Park – 3pm

Corrimal continued to stake a claim for finals football last round, with the Rangers storming to a 5-2 win over Woonona on Saturday to push the side within one point of the top five. The Rangers also continued their recent love affair with the Bert Bampton Cup on Wednesday evening, progressing to the Quarter-finals with a 6-5 win on penalties over District League side Helensburgh Thistle after a 3-3 draw. A win for Robert Jonovski’s squad will see them return to the top five but a defeat could see the side slide to eight if results fail to go their way.

Meanwhile, it was another tough week for the side out at Ian McLennan Park with South Coast United losing by six goals twice in the space of four days, going down 8-2 to Albion Park White Eagles on Saturday evening in the league before going out of the Bert Bampton Cup on Tuesday evening in a 6-0 loss to Bulli, with keeper David Valic going down injured in the final moments of the match. Greg Valic’s side remain in 11^th on the ladder and a result for them would be fantastic in helping create some breathing space between the side and Cringila.

It was a mixed bag when these two sides faced off last season, with Corrimal walking over the top of SCU in their Round 5 encounter in a 5-0 win but SCU getting the last laugh with a 2-0 win in Round 16, but Corrimal will be hoping to match their 4-0 win over SCU in the Preseason Cup earlier in the season as they hope to keep pace with the top five.

Prediction – Corrimal

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

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