ILLAWARRA MERCURY PREMIER LEAGUE – FINALS WEEK ONE PREVIEW

U20s – Sunday 1 September

Bulli FC (2^nd) vs Fernhill FC (3^rd) @ Balls Paddock – 10am

A spot in the Major Semi-Final against Wollongong United is on the line as Bulli face Fernhill in the Qualifying Final.

Both teams come into the fixture as the only side remaining from their respective clubs campaign, but Bulli will be hoping their recent poor form will be thrown out the window for the clash, with the side losing three of their last five league clashes – beating Fernhill to second place by a single point. However, the Foxes have been flying in recent weeks, with four wins in their last five clashes, with their only defeat a 3-1 loss to their opponents on Sunday.

Both sides have players who can potentially light up the match if needed but it will be the battle of the frontlines at Balls Paddock, with Bulli’s Eden Mccall – who has netted 13 goals in 19 games – and Fernhill’s Behar Miftari – who has picked up 11 goals in the same timespan – leading the line and looking to do all they can to fire their side into the major semifinal.

Both sides have picked up wins over the other this season, with Bulli claiming a 3-1 win in a postponed Round 16 match and Fernhill grabbing a huge 5-1 win in Round 5, but with both sides looking to make their path to the big dance as straight forward as possible, Bulli’s home advantage might prove just enough to sneak them through.

Prediction – Bulli FC

Coniston FC (4^th) vs Albion Park White Eagles (5^th) @ Tarrawanna Oval – 10am

It’s crunch time for Coniston and Albion Park as both sides face off to keep their finals campaign alive in the Elimination Final.

Coniston missed out on a top three position by a single point but the side will be looking to push onto the second week of finals and carry on the form they seemed to have found in the last couple of weeks of the campaign – the side have won their last two matches, including a 4-2 win over 2^nd placed Bulli. However, Albion Park will be no pushover, with the side looking to show they have a good a championship claim as any side in the top five. The White Eagles have stuttered in recent weeks, dropping points to Bulli and Fernhill, but the side will be hopeful they can be the first Albion Park side through to the second week of finals, with the U23 and First Grade side due to take the field after.

Coniston will likely call to the services of Brandon Oliveira for the clash, with the player being an instrumental part of the starting XI – playing all 22 league games – while also playing a part in Coniston’s first grade game against Port Kembla on the final matchday while Albion Park will likely look to the goal-scoring pair of Keiter Smith and Marcus Navarro, who have both picked up five goals this campaign.

It has been a pair of close clashes this season between the two sides, with Coniston getting a 2-1 win in Round 4 and Albion Park running out 2-0 winners in Round 15, but with each side’s season on the line, Coniston’s building form might be just enough to push them into the second week of the finals campaign.

Prediction – Coniston FC

U23s – Sunday 1 September

Albion Park White Eagles (4^th) vs Coniston FC (5^th) @ Balls Paddock – 12:15pm

Albion Park and Coniston will not only be fighting for their campaigns in the U20s competition, but also the U23s as both sides face off in the Elimination Final.

Both sides claimed their spot in the finals with ease – Albion Park finished five points behind third-placed Corrimal and Coniston finished seven points ahead of sixth-placed Woonona – but both sides will be looking to book a ticket to the second week of finals with victory. Coniston have the better form of the two sides heading into the fixture, with the side picking up three wins in their last five games while Albion Park are winless in three matches heading into the fixture.

Albion Park will no doubt be looking at their top scoring player Sean Kennedy to guide the side through the encounter, with the prolific scorer collecting 18 goals during the league campaign. Meanwhile, Coniston have a pair of dangerous goal-scorers of their own in Connor Pontarolo and James Stewart, with the two combining for 28 goals so far this season.

The White Eagles are yet to lose to Coniston this season, with the side nabbing a 2-1 win in Round 4 and a 3-2 win in Round 15. While Coniston will be desperate to overturn that record, Albion Park should have enough quality about them to see themselves through to the second week of finals.

Prediction – Albion Park White Eagles

Tarrawanna Blueys (2^nd) vs Corrimal Rangers (3^rd) @ Tarrawanna Oval – 12:15am

A berth in the Major Semi-Final against Wollongong United awaits the winner of the clash between Tarrawanna and Corrimal.

The Blueys enter the encounter the higher ranked side of the two, finishing three points ahead of the Rangers in the regular season, but it’s Corrimal who have the stronger form – the side’s Round 22 loss to Fernhill was the teams first loss in eight games, winning seven of those matches. Meanwhile, Tarrawanna have made slight missteps in the last few rounds of the season, with the side coming into September off the back of two straight losses – including one at the hands of Corrimal.

Tarrawanna will certainly call on young forward Nicolas Tomasiello to make a big impact in the match, with the Blueys player picking up six goals across his 11 U23 appearances this season and more impressively bagging a four goal haul in the Youth Cup Final against Wollongong United to help the Blueys to victory. But Corrimal have a goal-scorer of their own in Jeremy Flanagan, who has found the back of the net 19 times in his 21 games for the Rangers this season.

Both sides have nabbed a win over the other during the campaign, with Tarrawanna beating Corrimal 3-1 in Round 10 and the Rangers beating the Blueys 2-1 in Round 21. With both sides wanting to keep their march to the grand final on track, this game could go down to the wire, with Tarrawanna’s home advantage potentially doing just enough to secure the Blueys a spot in the major semifinal.

Prediction – Tarrawanna Blueys

First Grade – Sunday 1 September

Albion Park White Eagles (2^nd) vs Corrimal Rangers (3^rd) @ Balls Paddock – 2:30pm

Albion Park and Corrimal will clash to see who gets to take on Wollongong Olympic in the Major Semi-Final, with both sides aiming to be the first one into the big dance.

The White Eagles locked up second place last round thanks to a handy 4-2 win over Bulli while Corrimal put in a great shift to thrash Fernhill 6-0 but neither side will be willing to rest on their laurels heading into September. Paul Carter’s side have been building up momentum in the final weeks of the campaign, with the White Eagles coming into the clash off the back of an eight game unbeaten streak while Corrimal have made the occasional slip-up in the final stretch of the campaign, with the side picking up three wins in their last five clashes.

Albion Park will be looking to Cameron Morgan to have a big game for the side, with the forward racking up an impressive 21 goals in 21 games this campaign but Corrimal have a dangerous attacker of their own in Van Elia, who has managed to outpace the White Eagles striker by scoring 23 goals in just 18 games this season. However, both sides will need to be on top form defensively if they want to nab a result, with Albion Park looking to established defenders Chris Nathaniel and Blake Mcginn to lead the backline while Corrimal will no doubt call on the experience of Alvin Ceccoli to guide the side through.

Albion Park have slight bragging rights over the Rangers this season, picking up a miracle 5-4 win back in Round 6 before the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Round 17. While both sides will be keen to keep their second chance in their back pocket for another week, Albion Park’s form heading into the finals campaign will cause trouble for Corrimal and the White Eagles should be able to net a crucial victory in this close encounter.

Prediction – Albion Park White Eagles

Wollongong United (4^th) vs Tarrawanna Blueys (5^th) @ Tarrawanna Oval – 2:30pm

Wollongong United and Tarrawanna will face off to keep their quest for the championship alive in the Elimination Final.

Both sides left it late to book their spot in the top five, with Wollongong United claiming their spot in the penultimate round while Tarrawanna needed a 1-1 draw over Woonona to see off the Sharks for the final spot in the top five. Wollongong United will fancy their chances heading into the clash, with the side only losing one match in their last seven matches – a 2-1 loss to Wollongong Olympic on the final matchday. However, the Blueys cannot be counted out either, with the side picking up three wins in their last five matches including wins over Olympic and Corrimal Rangers.

Wollongong United have utilized a deep squad throughout the season but the side will absolutely be looking at the skills of Zac Mclaren and Shane Murray in the midfield to control the play, who have featured in 21 and 20 games respectively this season. Meanwhile, Tarrawanna will also look to utilize a deep bench of their own to catch out their opponents, but the side will likely rely heavily on the fantastic skills of Adam Rodriguez in goals and the dynamic capabilities of Keisuke Hayashi on the wings.

Both sides have claimed three points over the other at some point during the campaign, with Wollongong United picking up a 2-1 win in Round 17 and the Blueys seeing off United 2-0 in Round 6. With both sides’ seasons on the line, this clash could see the dreaded penalty spot decide the fixture and Wollongong United’s solid end to the season suggests the side might be able to do just enough to knock off a determined Blueys side.

Prediction – Wollongong United

 

Preview by Cal Behrendt, on Twitter @CalBehrendt

File Photo: Kiah Hufton