Round 5 Preview

There’s a familiar look to the top of the Illawarra Mercury Premier League ladder after four rounds of the 2016 season. Bulli and Kemblawarra Fury lead the pack now, with last season’s Grand Final winners Wollongong United also in the top five after last week’s win. The surprise package up there with the leaders is newly-promoted Picton Rangers, who made it three wins out of four last week.

Round 5 looks intriguing as the top six teams go head-to-head in three of the ties, meaning the bottom six are also up against each other.

Match of the round

Albion Park White Eagles v Kemblawarra Fury FC @ Terry Reserve – kick-off 3.00pm, Saturday 23 April

The White Eagles bounced back from last week’s disappointing result in the FFA Cup with a resounding victory away at Woonona on Saturday. That will put them in positive spirits again, and although they start the game in sixth spot, they will be hoping to achieve a result this weekend against the Fury.

With a player of the calibre of Shohei Okuno in their squad, anything is possible. Okuno bagged a hat-trick last week, making him the IPL’s top scorer with five goals after four rounds. Many eyes will also be on Mitch del Turco, if he lines up against his former team-mates from last season’s Fury side.

The Fury made a slow start to the season, but last week’s win away at then table toppers Tarrawanna showed they are just getting into gear. Matthew McNab has rediscovered his scoring boots, too, with three goals in the last two league outings. This preview was written before the Fury’s FFA Cup outing against the Wollongong Wolves. If they win that tie, they’ll be on a roll and surely the winners here.

Regardless of what happens in the Cup, I’m calling this as a victory for Fury by one. I’m keen to see how they handle Okuno, though.

Other games on Saturday 23 April

Picton Rangers FC v Bulli FC @ Hume Oval - kick-off 2.30pm

Picton have had a dream start in their return to the Illawarra Premier League, with wins at home and away taking them to fourth in the ladder after four rounds. This will be their toughest test yet, though, up against the IPL ladder leaders and the team with the stingiest defence (Bulli have conceded just two in four matches).

Both sides will have had tough FFA Cup matches in midweek, played out after this review was written. Morale could be sky high in either camp if they managed to continue their cup exploits, but fitness could also be an issue with this their third game in eight days.

Bulli’s Dylan Lewis down the right and Julian Minutillo up the left flank have helped striker Ben McDonald to four goals in the last two matches, but they’ve also notched two a piece themselves in the IPL this season. How Picton deal with this threesome is surely vital to the outcome this week.

Picton’s results since Round 1 suggest that home defeat may well have just been first day nerves. They found their way through Wollongong United’s defence a couple of weeks ago, so they may well get one past the Bulli back four. But I still think the visitors will take the three points by a one goal margin.

Wollongong Olympic v Woonona FC @ PCYC – kick-off 2.30pm

Both sides will be smarting from back-to-back defeats, which have stalled the promising start both of them had made to the season.

The Sharks have now lost three on the bounce. Although these matches have all been against teams riding high in the ladder, the extent of last weekend’s 1-5 collapse at home to Albion Park must be a worry for coach Brendan Anderson. Japanese pair Ryo Suzuki and Sho Tadokoro have both scored two for the Sharks this season, and this must give Woonona hope.

They’ll be taking on an Olympic side that has had its own share of disappointment already this season, with defeat to Cringila Lions last week adding to coach Rob Birkin’s headaches.

Birkin knows that his side can match most teams on their day, though, and with talent up front in Yusuke Ueda and Wandi Jajaw, they will always be a threat. I predict an Olympic victory by two in this one.

Wollongong United v Tarrawanna Blueys @ Macedonia Park– kick-off 2.30pm

This is another intriguing tie, pitting a United side that will be cock-a-hoop following their FFA Cup triumph in midweek beating Blacktown Spartans against the IPL’s top scorers, Tarrawanna.

United didn’t have the best of starts to the 2016 season, but got their campaign back on track with last week’s comfortable win over South Coast United before their midweek exploits in beating the NPL Premier League outfit in the Cup. Karouna Michael has already bagged three goals in IPL games this season and added to his overall tally with more in the FFA Cup in midweek. He’s the one to watch for the Blueys defence this week.

With 13 goals in four matches, the Blueys have shown they certainly know where the target is this season. Let’s see how Brendan Reilly and his fellow United defenders shape up against the likes of Rick Goodchild (4 goals), Darren Stone (3 goals) and new boy Sam Isabella (2 goals).

Tarrawanna have a poor record against the other top teams, though, and I think home advantage plus adrenalin buzz from midweek will carry the home side over the line for three points here. United to win by one or two.

 

Sunday 24 April

Port Kembla v South Coast United @ Wetherall Park – kick-off 2.30pm

It’s been a sorry start to the season for both these teams. They prop up the IPL ladder ahead of Round 5 and anything but victory this weekend risks seeing them start to lose touch with the pack.

Port’s problem has been finding the net, with only one solitary goal in four outings for the black and white stripes. For South Coast, on the other hand, it has been their leaky defence, which has already let in 13 goals in their first four matches.

Jun Lee has scored three for the visitors this season and he’s the one to watch for any set-pieces in dangerous positions. Defensively, though, Port Kembla have not performed badly so far in most matches. The problem has been in front of goal, where only Joe Lavalle has managed to get his name on the scoresheet.

This game could go either way, but I’m calling it for Port Kembla by a single goal.

Shell Cove FC v Cringila Lions @ Barrack Heights – kick-off 2.30pm

These two sides may sit in the bottom half of the IPL ladder after four rounds, but both have impressed with the style of their football so far this season.

Cringila go into this tie on a high, after their first win of the season last week against Wollongong Olympic. In Esali Ali, Mikal Awad and Joel Craig, they have a youthful trio who have been testing the best defences, while providing great entertainment on the ball.

Shell Cove also have new blood with Daniel Vellonio and Jordan Hassiem pairing up nicely to cause problems even against high-flying Bulli last weekend. And these newcomers have blended in well with mainstays like Ljupco Naumovski, who made a rare appearance on the scoresheet a couple of weeks ago,

This is another tie that could go either way. So for this one, I’m going to sit on the fence and call it a draw.

By Simon Duffin