Saturday 1 June

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

Port Kembla fell out of the top five for the first time this campaign last round, going down 2-1 to league-leading Wollongong Olympic at Wetherall Park on Sunday. Steven Dimitrievski’s side have had a tough time of the last couple of rounds, going down to two top five sides but the side will be hoping to return to winning ways against Coniston and move back into the top five, but a loss for the side could see them drop to 9^th on the ladder.

Meanwhile their opponents in Coniston will be looking to continue the positive form shown by the side in last round’s 0-0 draw with reigning champions Bulli, with the result meaning Jeff Allport’s squad sits just three points outside of the top five, with a result for Coniston becoming essential if the side wants to remain in touch with the top five. Interestingly, Coniston are the only side this season to find the back of the net more than 20 times and not sit in the top five, with the side’s 21 goals putting them equal fourth in terms of goals scored this campaign, and it will be this attacking prowess that the side will be hoping to utilize against a Port Kembla side that has been tough to break down at times this season.

Coniston will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the last time these two sides faced off back in August 2013 - with Port Kembla storming to a 12-0 victory – but with Port Kembla desperate to return to the top five and Coniston hoping to keep touch with the top five, a draw could be on the cards in this encounter.

Prediction – Draw

Wollongong United vs Wollongong Olympic @ Macedonia Park – 2:30pm

Wollongong United stuttered in their attempt to remain in the top two last round, falling to a 1-1 draw with bottom placed Cringila Lions on Sunday and as a result seeing the side drop to third on the ladder. The side will be hoping to close the gap on their opponents with victory in what could prove to be a huge game in the title race on Saturday, with United cutting the gap to one point with a win, but potentially falling seven points off the pace with a loss – a gap which could prove very tough to come back from.

Meanwhile it was business as usual for Wollongong Olympic last round, with the side surviving an early scare to recover and beat Port Kembla 2-1 at Wetherall Park and ensure the side remained top of the league for another week. George Antoniou’s side are undefeated in their last six league matches and the side will be hoping to extend their lead at the top of the ladder with a win over Wollongong United, but a defeat could see the side drop to second if Tarrawanna can defeat Woonona.

While Wollongong United have the most recent bragging rights – downing Olympic 2-1 after extra time in last season’s Preliminary Final – the side has not beaten Olympic in the regular season since March 2015, with Olympic winning five of the seven matches between the side since then. With a lot on the line for both sides, this match could go either way.

Prediction – Draw

Woonona FC vs Tarrawanna Blueys @ Ocean Park – 2:30pm

Woonona made it two wins in a row last round, downing South Coast United 1-0 thanks to a second-half Khalid Alali goal and ensuring the Sharks remain in touch with the top five hunt – with the side now only three points off fifth. However, with the side sitting at a -10 goal difference for the campaign so far, the Sharks will need to continue picking up points if they want to remain in the finals conversation. Keeping a third successive clean sheet will be paramount to the side’s chances against a free-scoring Tarrawanna side and Dan McGoldrick’s men will need to be on top form if they want to secure a result over the Blueys.

But Tarrawanna will be hoping to take advantage of the other top three sides facing off against each other and potentially return to top spot, with the side keeping within range of Wollongong Olympic after a 2-0 win over top-five side Corrimal Rangers last Saturday. Peter Willis’ side have won two matches on the trot and more importantly, have scored seven goals while not conceding any – meaning the side now has the third best defensive record in the league with only ten goals conceded so far this campaign. The side will be hoping that on-field form helps them against the Sharks, with a win over Woonona potentially sending the Blueys top of the ladder if Wollongong Olympic lose to Wollongong United.

It has been a long time between victory drinks for Woonona, with the Sharks last grabbing a win over the Blueys in the league all the way back in May 2010 and with a chance to move into top spot with a win, the Blueys will be doing everything they can to keep that streak going.

Prediction – Tarrawanna

Cringila Lions vs South Coast United @ Crehan Park – 5pm

Cringila made a positive start to life under new coach Stuart Beedie, with the Lions coming back from a goal down to grab a point off Wollongong United in the Macedonian Derby last Sunday and draw the side level on points with their Round 11 opponent. In what will be a huge six-pointer for the relegation battle, Cringila will be looking to their top-scorer Alex Mojsoski to help lead the line against an SCU side that has shown defensive weaknesses so far this campaign.

But SCU – who came close to nabbing a point of their own last round in a tight 1-0 loss to Woonona on Saturday - will be hoping to take advantage of Cringila’s own defensive weaknesses – with the Lions conceding 31 goals to date this campaign, the worst of any side – and Greg Valic’s men will be hoping to improve their own lackluster goal-scoring record, with SCU having only found the back of the net six times this season.

This match could prove to be a huge one in the context of the battle to avoid the drop, with the winning side – if there is one - opening up a three point gap at the bottom of the ladder which, while not insurmountable, could prove to be the difference come the end of the season. While South Coast United have the most recent bragging rights – the side beat Cringila 3-2 in the Fraternity Preseason Cup in February and beat the side 1-0 in August 2018 – the infamous ‘new manager bounce’ might just be enough to hand Cringila the win in what could prove to be a extremely tight affair.

Prediction – Cringila

Sunday 2 June

Corrimal Rangers vs Fernhill FC @ Memorial Park – 3pm

Corrimal saw their good patch of form come to an end last round, with a 2-0 defeat to Tarrawanna ending the Rangers’ three-match winning streak and keeping the side in fifth, with a single point separating them from sixth-placed Port Kembla. Robert Jonovski’s side will be hoping to return to the winners circle and the scoresheets once again, with the Rangers loss to Tarrawanna the first time all season the side had been kept scoreless and Corrimal will be hoping to rectify this against Fernhill – a side who has conceded just under two goals a game so far this season.

Meanwhile, Fernhill will be hoping to continue to march to the beat of their own drum, with a 2-1 loss to Albion Park White Eagles last round keeping the side landlocked in 10^th spot – six points clear of the bottom two but six points behind 9^th placed Woonona. Bruce Tilt’s squad will be hoping to continue their recent goal-scoring form, with the side finding the back of the net in their past two matches, with the side picking up a third of their overall goal tally for the season across their last two matches.

The Foxes netted four of the six points on offer from this fixture last season – with a 1-0 win in May 2018 followed by a 1-1 draw in August – but Corrimal appear to have discarded their Robin Hood status from last season and will be looking to lock down their spot in the top five with a result over the Foxes.

Prediction – Corrimal

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

Albion Park returned to the winners circle last round, downing Fernhill 2-1 at Ray Robinson Field to move the side back into the top five and leave Paul Carter’s squad four points off league leaders Wollongong Olympic. While a win for the side could see them potentially move into second, a defeat for the side could push them out of the top five again if results fail to fall their way. Albion Park have also seen the departure of Ethan Kambisios this week, with confirmation of the midfielder’s move to NPL NSW 2 side Macarthur Rams coming through mid-week.

Meanwhile, Bulli’s winless streak extended to three matches after the side failed to get over Coniston at JJ Kelly Park, with a 0-0 draw keeping the side in 7^th, two points adrift from the top five. Matt Bailey’s side has struggled to find the back of the net consistently this campaign, with their 13 goal haul the fifth lowest in the division. However, the side has the best defensive record in the division – alongside Wollongong Olympic – with only nine goals conceded to date, and this could prove decisive against an Albion Park team that - while being the equal-top-scoring side in the division - has conceded an average of two goals a game.

Bulli were the better of the two sides last season – beating Albion Park 2-1 in May 2018 and picking up a 1-1 draw in August – but with both sides hitting a patch of inconsistent form in the past few weeks, this match could go either way as both sides seek to net a vital three points and further their claim to a top five position.

Prediction – Draw

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt