ILLAWARRA MERCURY PREMIER LEAGUE – ROUND 10 PREVIEW

Saturday 25 May

Bulli FC vs Coniston FC @ Balls Paddock – 2:30pm

Bulli were unable to return to the top five last round, picking up a point in a 1-1 draw against league leaders Wollongong Olympic at PCYC, leaving the side two points outside the top five. Matt Bailey’s side has struggled for consistency this season and while Bulli have one of the best defensive records in the league so far this season – having only conceded nine goals to date – the side has been unable to take full advantage of that to push themselves up the ladder, with the side needing a good result against Coniston in order to keep in touch with the top five.

Meanwhile their opponents in Coniston will be hoping to return to winning ways after their three-match winning streak ended at the hands of Fernhill, going down 2-1 to the Foxes at JJ Kelly Park last Saturday. Jeff Allport’s squad sit three points off the top five and will overtake their opponents with a victory on Saturday but a defeat to Bulli could see the side drop to ninth on the ladder if Woonona beat South Coast United.

This match will prove to be an interesting fixture as it sees the reigning Premier League champions take on the current District League champions in a true test to see how well Coniston has adjusted to Premier League life. The last time the sides faced off in the league was back in July 2013 and while Bulli claimed a 3-0 win over Coniston that time around, the result could be a lot closer when the two sides face off on Saturday.

Prediction – Bulli

Fernhill FC vs Albion Park White Eagles @ Ray Robinson Field – 2:30pm

Fernhill shocked many around the league last round by picking up a win at the in-form Coniston, nabbing a 2-1 win that puts the side six points clear of the bottom two. However, it was not an entirely smooth weekend for the Foxes, with the side knocked out of the Bert Bampton Cup in a 2-1 defeat to Woonona, with substitute Liam Brown finding the back of the net for Fernhill. While Bruce Tilt’s side remain in 10^th after their win over Coniston, the side has kept in contact with Woonona and with a win the side could overtake the Sharks if they fail to grab a point against South Coast United.

However, Albion Park will be itching to return to the winners circle after the side was decimated by Tarrawanna last Saturday, going down in a 5-0 defeat to the Blueys – the side’s biggest loss in the league since July 2013 - that saw Paul Carter’s side pushed out of the top five on the virtue of goal difference. A win over the Foxes could see the side potentially move up to second place if results fall their way, but the side could also drop to eighth if they fail to pick up a point.

Albion Park were in control of this fixture last season, with the White Eagles romping to a 6-0 victory back in May 2018, but Fernhill will be hoping the match turns out more like their August 2018 rematch, where the Foxes picked up a point in a 1-1 draw. However, with Albion Park wanting to return to the top five, Fernhill will have to put in a top-drawer performance to grab anything out of this match.

Prediction – Albion Park White Eagles

Tarrawanna Blueys vs Corrimal Rangers @ Tarrawanna Oval – 2:30pm

Tarrawanna snapped their two-match losing streak in style last round, with goals to Stephen Lloyd, Rick Goodchild, Cody Waller and a brace from Benjamin Spruce helping the Blueys to a 5-0 win over Albion Park White Eagles – their first league win over the side since August 2014 – and a swift return to the top three. The Blueys could potentially go top with a win but a loss could also see the side drop out of the top five altogether.

But Corrimal will be hoping to extend their stay in the top five and their three-match winning streak when they take on the Blueys, with the Rangers moving into the top five last round off the back of a 2-0 win over South Coast United last Sunday. Robert Jonovski’s have been in top-form in front of goals in the past few weeks, with the side netting 16 goals in their last four fixtures across all competitions – an average of four a game – with the side currently the top-scoring team in the league. A win for the Rangers could potentially see them move into first but anything less than a win could see the side drop out of the top five.

Interestingly, three out of the last four league fixtures between these two sides have been a draw – with Tarrawanna claiming three points in the one other fixture back in May 2018 – and while both sides will be wanting all three points to further their claim for a top five spot, a draw would be a very reasonable result for both sides.

Prediction – Draw

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

South Coast United continued their tough start to the season last Sunday, going down 2-0 to the in-form Corrimal to leave the side stranded at the foot of the ladder. A win for SCU could prove vital for their attempts to stay out of a relegation battle, with three points potentially putting them four points clear of bottom placed Cringila. However, Greg Valic’s side have struggled for goal-scoring form so far this season, with the side bottom of the goalscoring charts with just six goals to their name so a show of attacking prowess is needed if the side wants to grab a result over the Sharks.

Meanwhile it was a good weekend for the Sharks, with the side claiming three points thanks to a Luke McCosker strike as Woonona grabbed a 1-0 win over Cringila on Saturday to keep in touch with the rest of the league. But that wasn’t the only win of the weekend for the Sharks, with the side moving to the Quarterfinals of the Bert Bampton Cup after a Bradley Strudwick brace helped the side prevail 2-1 over Fernhill. A win for Woonona would be crucial to help further a potential finals push but the side could also be overtaken by Fernhill if they fail to pick up a point against SCU and the Foxes get past Albion Park.

It is worth noting that the Sharks have won the last three league encounters against SCU, including a 1-0 win on the final matchday of the 2018 season which ended SCU’s four match winning streak that helped them fly away from the relegation zone. With the hosts last picking up a win over the Sharks back in April 2017, SCU will need to put in a good shift to get anything from the Sharks.

Prediction – Woonona

Sunday 26 May

Cringila Lions vs Wollongong United @ Crehan Park – 2:30pm

Cringila came close to grabbing their second point of the season last round, going down 1-0 to Woonona in a tight match that leaves the side bottom of the league with only one point from their opening nine fixtures. However, the Lions will be boosted by the fact that this fixture is the first home match for new coach Stuart Beedie, with the former Port Kembla manager taking the reins last week after the resignation of Zivko Jovanovski. With the Lions needing a result sooner rather than later if the side wants to avoid a relegation dogfight, the Macedonian derby against Wollongong United with a new coach at the helm could provide a perfect opportunity.

However, Wollongong United are going to be no pushover, with goals to James O’Rourke, Billy Tsovolos and Stevan Ilic helping the side storm into second place on the ladder last round in a 3-1 win over Port Kembla on Saturday. Oli Vrtkovski’s side have now won three league matches on the trot and could move into top spot with a win over Cringila, but a defeat could also see the team slide out of the top five if results fail to go their way.

Wollongong United have won the last five league matches between the two sides, with Cringila last claiming victory back in May 2016 and with Cringila facing the prospect of a red-hot Wollongong United side, new Lions coach Stuart Beedie might need a miracle to grab anything from this fixture.

Prediction – Wollongong United

Port Kembla vs Wollongong Olympic @ Wetherall Park – 2:30pm

Port Kembla failed to continue their winning form last round, falling to a 3-1 defeat against Wollongong United, which sees the side drop to fifth on the ladder, just ahead of Albion Park on goal difference. Steven Dimitrievski’s side will be hoping to solidify their spot in the top five with a result over the league-leading Olympic, but a defeat could potentially see the side drop as low as eighth.

Meanwhile, their opponents in Wollongong Olympic were unable to take maximum points from their last league fixture, with the side drawing 1-1 against Bulli last Saturday but the weekend wasn’t all bad news for George Antoniou’s side, advancing to the final eight of the Bert Bampton Cup on Sunday with a thumping 7-1 win over District League side Kiama. A win could extend Olympic’s lead at the top of the ladder to four points if results fall their way, but a loss could see the side drop to third if Wollongong United and Tarrawanna both claim three points.

This match will be a showcase between two of the best defences in the league - with Olympic only conceding eight goals so far this campaign and Port Kembla nine – but Olympic will be hoping to carry their own personal regular season form over Port Kembla through the fixture, with Port Kembla last picking up three points over Olympic during the regular season back in August 2015. However, given how strong the sides are defensively, a tight draw could be on the cards for this fixture.

Prediction – Draw

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Photo: JC Sports Photography