Saturday 8 June

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

Wollongong United fell seven points behind the league-leading Wollongong Olympic last round after going down 2-1 to Olympic last Saturday at Macedonia Park and seeing the side drop to fourth on the ladder. Oli Vrtkovski’s side need to return to winning ways soon if the side wants to remain in the title hunt and the side will be hoping they can accomplish that goal against Coniston. A win for the side could push them back into second if results fall their way but a defeat could see them drop as low as eighth. New signing Jordan Seeto – who signed for United mid-week, having last played for Victorian side Dandenong Thunder in 2017 – could make his debut for the side against Coniston as they hope to secure the three points.

Meanwhile their opponents in Coniston will be hoping to get their campaign back on track after stuttering last week in a 1-1 draw against Port Kembla, with Jeff Allport’s side leading for a bulk of the match thanks to an early Dinko Terzic free-kick only to give up the three points late in the encounter. Coniston need a result to remain in touch with the top five, with the side currently four points adrift of fifth place but anything other than the full three points could see the side trapped in mid-table limbo.

Coniston will be hoping to avenge their opening matchday defeat to United when the sides face off at Macedonia Park, with Wollongong United claiming the bragging rights back in Round 1 after goals from Ben Brooks, Shane Murray and a Hikaru Kawasakiya brace helped the side to a 4-2 win over Coniston. However, with Wollongong United desperate to return to winning ways and attempt to close the gap at the top of the table, they should be able to see out Coniston here.

Prediction – Wollongong United

Albion Park White Eagles vs Port Kembla FC @ Terry Reserve – 2:30pm

Albion Park left Terry Reserve on Sunday afternoon feeling frustrated, with the side dominating the run of play against Bulli but ultimately coming away with nothing, going down 1-0 and leaving Paul Carter’s side in fifth. Albion Park have struggled for consistent form in recent weeks, picking up a pair of wins against bottom three sides Fernhill and South Coast United while dropping points to Bulli, Tarrawanna and Woonona. With a loss for the side potentially seeing them slip as low as eighth, Albion Park will be hoping they can retain their top five status for another week with a win.

Meanwhile Port Kembla failed to get the job done last round against Coniston, picking up a 1-1 draw thanks to a late Jayden Salucci goal which leaves the side in seventh and two points off the top five. A win for Port Kembla will see them rise above Albion Park in the standings but Steven Dimitrievski’s side will need to break out of their poor recent form, with the side only winning one game - a 6-0 thumping of Cringila in Round 8 – in their last five matches.

Port Kembla have not lost to Albion Park yet this season, claiming the three points back in Round 1 with a 1-0 win and thumping the White Eagles 4-0 in the Bert Bampton Cup Round of 16 in May. With Port Kembla desperate to pull out of their rough patch of form – especially with a Bert Bampton Cup Quarter-final against Woonona next week – the side will be looking to their clash with Albion Park as a means of restarting the engine.

Prediction – Port Kembla FC

Cringila Lions vs Wollongong Olympic @ Crehan Park – 5pm

Stuart Beedie continued his unbeaten start as Cringila’s new coach last round, firing past South Coast United 4-2 at Crehan Park to move the side off the foot of the ladder and give the Lions their first win of the 2019 campaign. Cringila now have a real task ahead of them as they take on the league-leading Wollongong Olympic, but if the side can upset the odds and grab a win they could move into 10^th if Fernhill fail to get over Woonona and there is a five goal swing in favor of the Lions. However, a loss for Cringila could see them drop back to 12^th if South Coast United can grab the win over Tarrawanna.

However, Wollongong Olympic will be seeking to take the baton and run with it, with the side opening a five-point gap at the top of the ladder last round thanks to a 2-1 win over Wollongong United and a 2-1 Blueys loss to the Sharks. George Antoniou’s side have not lost in the league in seven matches and will be hoping to extend their streak to eight with a win that could see the side create an eight-point gap at the top if all the results fall their way.

Cringila have a big challenge to overcome in this match, with the side going down 5-2 to Olympic on the opening matchday off the back of a Yusuke Ueda hat-trick, but the side has rallied hard since Stuart Beedie took on the head coach role and a result over Olympic would be the best possible way to announce to the league that Cringila cannot be counted out.

Prediction – Wollongong Olympic

South Coast United vs Tarrawanna Blueys @ Ian McLennan Park – 6:30pm

It was another tough week for South Coast United, with the side’s winless streak extending to 11 games this season after going down 4-2 to Cringila in a relegation six-pointer at Crehan Park on Saturday. Greg Valic’s side now sit in 12^th on the ladder as a result of the loss and the side needs to quickly turn on the style if they want to keep pace with a rejuvenated Cringila side.

However, Tarrawanna will be coming into the match hoping to return to winning ways, with the side going down 2-1 to Woonona last round in what should serve as a wake-up call for the Blueys. Last round’s loss left Tarrawanna five points adrift of Wollongong Olympic and the side now needs to start stringing together wins if they want to remain in the title hunt. However, another loss for the Blueys could see them drop as low as fifth if results fail to go their way and could make it extremely difficult to remain in the title conversation.

It was a lone goal that got Tarrawanna over South Coast United back in Round 1, with a Greg Valic own goal enough to secure a 1-0 win for the Blueys back in March. While South Coast United will be hoping to improve on that result, Tarrawanna should have the drive to push past the side and remain in the title race.

Prediction – Tarrawanna Blueys

Sunday 9 June

Woonona FC vs Fernhill FC @ Ocean Park – 2:30pm

Woonona made it three wins in a row last round – the first time in the league since August 2012, when the side was in the District League – with a shock 2-1 win over Tarrawanna Blueys, moving the Sharks firmly into the top five hunt, with the side now only two points off fifth. Dan McGoldrick’s side still have a poor goal difference stat to overcome – the side is sitting at -9 for the campaign – but a win over Fernhill could move them into the top five if results fall their way.

Meanwhile, Fernhill will be hoping to avoid getting sucked into a relegation battle this round after the side fell to a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Corrimal Rangers last Sunday, leaving the Foxes stranded in 10^th and now only three points ahead of Cringila. A loss for the Foxes and a five-goal swing could see them overtaken by the Lions this round, but Fernhill will need to overcome their recent rough patch of form – winning only one game in their last five – to grab a result over an in-form Woonona.

The Sharks have won both encounters between the sides this season – with a 3-2 win back in Round 1 and a 2-1 win in the Bert Bampton Cup Round of 16 in May – and the side will be hoping to make it four wins in a row with victory over the Foxes in what promises to be a closely fought encounter.

Prediction – Woonona FC

Corrimal Rangers vs Bulli FC @ Memorial Park – 3pm

Corrimal shot into third place last round thanks to a 5-0 thumping of Fernhill at Memorial Park on Sunday, with a Van Elia hat-trick headlining the strong performance from the Rangers which moves them within one point of second-placed Tarrawanna. Elia has been crucial to the side’s free-scoring campaign this season - picking up 14 goals in just seven matches this season in a return of two goals a game. Corrimal will be hoping to move into second with a win over Bulli, but a loss could see them drop out of the top five if results fail to go their way.

Meanwhile, Bulli snapped their three-match winless streak last round, doing enough to keep Albion Park White Eagles at bay in a slim 1-0 win last Sunday at Terry Reserve and push Matt Bailey’s side into sixth on the ladder. Bulli’s defensive prowess again was key to Bulli’s win, with the side having conceded only nine goals to date in this campaign – the lowest of the league – and this structure could be key to helping the side grab a result over the top-scoring Rangers. A win for Bulli could push them into the top five for the first time since Round 7, but a loss could drop them down to ninth if results don’t go their way.

Neither side was able to grab the three points in the last encounter between the sides, with goals from Bulli’s Kyle Hazebroek-Southgate and Corrimal’s Van Elia ensuring the sides drew 1-1 in a delayed Round 1 encounter back in April. However, in what will be a match between an unstoppable attacking force and an unmovable defensive force, Corrimal should have just enough firepower to grab the win and remain in the title hunt.

Prediction – Corrimal Rangers

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt
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