ILLAWARRA MERCURY PREMIER LEAGUE – ROUND 17 PREVIEW

Saturday 13 July

Bulli FC vs Cringila Lions @ Balls Paddock – 2:30pm

Bulli were unable to take a big step forward in their finals hunt last round, with a goal from Ben McDonald helping the side take a point from bottom side Fernhill in a 1-1 draw at Ray Robinson Field on Saturday. The draw means Matt Bailey’s side remains in seventh place, two points adrift of fifth-placed Woonona with a win for Bulli potentially sending them into the top five if results fall their way. However, a loss for the side could see them drop as low as ninth. With Bulli aiming to break their current streak of five games without a win, a victory of Cringila could be vital as Bulli attempts to make a move on the top five.

But Cringila will be looking to return to winning ways after the Lions fell to a 2-1 defeat to high-flying Albion Park last Friday at Crehan Park, with Stuart Beedie’s side remaining in tenth place – five points behind ninth-placed Coniston and three points ahead of 11^th-placed South Coast United. The Lions appear to have come out the other end of new coach Beedie’s honeymoon period, losing two of their last three matches but Cringila will be determined to grab all three points and potentially move into a late finals charge.

Bulli claimed all three points when these two sides last faced back in Round 6, with goals from Rui Kamada and Brendan Pattman helping the side to a 2-1 win over the Lions at Crehan Park. But while Bulli will be hoping for a similar result this time around, their poor recent form may give Cringila just enough space to strike and nab a crucial three points.

Prediction – Cringila Lions

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

Coniston saw their Round 16 clash against Corrimal Rangers pushed back to Tuesday due to the wet weather but the extra few days failed to help the side, falling to a 4-2 loss at Memorial Park. The loss means Jeff Allport’s side remain in ninth place, four points off a finals spot. A win against the fifth-placed Sharks would go a long way to helping Coniston remain in the finals hunt while a loss could see the side drop further behind the pack at a crucial stage of the season. Coniston have been in patchy form as of late - with the side only picking up one win in their last eight fixtures – but a win against Woonona would hand the side their third win against a top five side this season.

Meanwhile Woonona will be looking to pick up the pieces after a crushing 7-2 defeat against league leaders Wollongong Olympic at Ocean Park on Saturday. The loss was the Sharks’ second straight defeat and their biggest loss since Round 6, leaving Dan McGoldrick’s side hanging onto their top-five spot by the skin of their teeth. The Sharks could drop out of the five and as low as eighth with a loss if results fail to go their way this weekend but a win for Woonona could help them gain some space from the chasing pack.

Interestingly, it was Coniston who thumped Woonona in their Round 6 encounter, with a Dinko Terzic hat-trick and goals from Matt Poposki and Michael Cimino helping Coniston to a 5-0 win over the Sharks at Ocean Park. While Woonona will be desperate to return to form and grab a huge three points, Coniston will be hoping they can replicate their huge win from earlier in the season and the home ground advantage might be just enough to get them over the line this time around.

Prediction – Coniston FC

Wollongong United vs Tarrawanna Blueys @ Macedonia Park – 2:30pm

Wollongong United failed to make the most of a golden chance to return to the top five last round, with the side laboring to a 0-0 draw against South Coast United at Ian McLennan Park on Saturday. The result leaves Oli Vrtkovski’s side one point off finals gatekeeper Woonona, with a win for United potentially sending the side past the Sharks if Woonona fails to get over Coniston but a loss for the side could see them drop as low as ninth if results fail to go their way. However, United will be primarily focused on snapping their recent streak of patchy form – with the side going their last six matches without a win.

Meanwhile Tarrawanna also failed to nab three points last round, with the side needing a second-half Matthew Naylor penalty to rescue a point against Port Kembla in a 1-1 draw on Sunday. The result leaves Peter Willis’ side in fourth on the ladder, four points off third-placed Corrimal and three points ahead of Woonona. While the result this weekend is unlikely to affect the standing of the Blueys on the ladder, claiming all three points would be a big step towards securing finals football.

Tarrawanna took all three points when these two sides faced off back in Round 6, with goals from Rick Goodchild and Mitchell Ferraro helping the Blueys to a 2-0 win at Tarrawanna Oval. While Wollongong United will be desperate to snap their winless streak and move into the top five, the Blueys should have just enough quality to see them off and claim the three points.

Prediction – Tarrawanna Blueys

Wollongong Olympic vs South Coast United @ PCYC – 2:30pm

It was another strong performance from the league-leading Wollongong Olympic last round, with the side coming back from a goal down to thump top-five side Woonona 7-2 at Ocean Park on Saturday. George Antoniou’s side remain seven points clear of the pack thanks to last round’s win and the side will be hoping to extend their lead to as much as nine points with a win this weekend if Albion Park and Corrimal play to a draw. Olympic will be hoping to continue their good recent form – with the side winning their last four league fixtures and their last five league clashes against South Coast United – with a win as they attempt to tighten their grasp on the title.

However, South Coast United won’t lie down easily against the league leaders, with Greg Valic’s side holding Wollongong United to a 0-0 draw last Saturday – handing the side their first clean sheet of the season and extending the side’s unbeaten streak to five matches. The side could leapfrog tenth-placed Cringila with a win if the Lions go down to Bulli but a loss for SCU could see them slip back into last place if Fernhill manage a win over Port Kembla. South Coast United will be hoping the defensive prowess they showed last round against Wollongong United extends to their clash against Olympic, as they attempt to pick up their second straight clean sheet for the first time since August 2018.

Wollongong Olympic claimed all three points with ease the last time these two sides faced back in Round 6, with a Julian Minutillo brace and goals from Yusuke Ueda and Jamie Wakeling powering Olympic to a 4-1 win at Ian McLennan Park. Despite South Coast United showing some solid form of late, Olympic should be able to see off the side and further their title aspirations with a win.

Prediction – Wollongong Olympic

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

Port Kembla’s stuttering form continued last round, with Fabian Iacovelli’s strike cancelled out in a 1-1 draw with Tarrawanna last Sunday at Tarrawanna Oval. The result keeps Steven Dimitrievski’s side in eighth place – two points off a top-five position – with a win potentially sending the side back into the top five for the first time since Round 9 if results fall their way. However, if Port Kembla are to return to the winner’s circle, they will need to pick up their recent goal-scoring form, with the side netting just 1.13 goals a game since their 6-0 thumping of Cringila back in Round 8 – a marked decrease from the 2.13 goals they scored per game in the opening eight rounds of the season.

Meanwhile Fernhill will look to play the role of Port Kembla’s banana peel, with a goal from Jeremy Kemp helping the Foxes picking up their first point since Round 13 in a 1-1 draw with Bulli on Saturday. Bruce Tilt’s side remains in last place despite the result, but Fernhill can leap past South Coast United with a win over Port Kembla if SCU fails to grab a win against Wollongong Olympic. However, Fernhill will need to snap their seven-game winless streak if they are to claim a vital three points in the relegation battle.

Port Kembla waltzed to all three points the last time these sides faced off in Round 6, with goals from Antonio Musumeci, Jayden Salucci and Sandy Lowcock helping the side to a 3-0 win at Ray Robinson Field. With both sides hoping to break out of their poor form shackles, Port Kembla’s home advantage should be enough to help them grab all three points in this clash.

Prediction – Port Kembla FC

Sunday 14 July

Albion Park White Eagles vs Corrimal Rangers @ Terry Reserve – 3pm

Albion Park kept themselves in the title conversation last round, with the side seeing off Cringila 2-1 at Crehan Park on Friday evening. Paul Carter’s side sits a single point ahead of Corrimal and seven behind league-leaders Wollongong Olympic, with a win for the White Eagles potentially closing the gap between themselves and Olympic if Olympic fails to pick up a win over South Coast United but a loss against the Rangers will see them drop into third. Albion Park have been in close to top form of late, with the side picking up four wins in their last five fixtures and scoring 12 goals in the process and the side will be hoping they can carry that form through their clash with the high-flying Rangers.

Meanwhile Corrimal continued to stake their claim for a shot at the title, with the side seeing off Coniston 4-2 in a rain-delayed clash at Memorial Park on Tuesday evening. Rob Jonoski’s side sit one point behind Albion Park and a win would send the side past the White Eagles, but a loss could see them stranded in third place as the league approaches the final stretch of the season. Corrimal will be hoping the defensive work the side has done in recent weeks will continue to pay off, with the side conceding just five goals in the past six matches – albeit with four of those goals coming in the previous two matches.

Albion Park took all three points in an absolute epic the last time these two sides faced off back in Round 6, with an early 3-0 Rangers lead cancelled out by a stellar Albion Park comeback as the White Eagles scored twice in the dying moments to nab a miracle 5-4 win at Memorial Park. While Corrimal will be very keen to exact revenge on Albion Park for that defeat, the quality of both sides could very easily cancel each other out in what will easily be the match of the round.

Prediction – Draw

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

Photo courtesy of JC Sports Photography