3 Things to Watch for in Round 14 of the IPL
As we move into single figures of regular season matches remaining — naturally — the significance of some matches begin to diminish so for the remaining nine rounds this weekly feature will be reduced from five to three.
Little less babbling from me, little less reading for you.
1 — Blueys boilover could blast open the top five battle
Almost everyone assumed Wollongong United would be running away with the title by this stage but last weekend’s draw with lowly Picton has ended any chance of taking out the league. Instead of looking up, the Macedonia Park club are now a result away from being in the middle of a scrimmage for the top five.
United travel to Tarrawanna Oval on Saturday to take on a Blueys outfit who will be gunning for a win after coming close to a remarkable comeback in the Bert Bampton Cup just over a week ago. Tarrawanna trailed United 4–0 at the break in the Cup quarter-final before Darren Stone kick-started a fightback which came within a Jake Webster save of pushing the match into overtime.
Jeff Allport has been unable to pick the same side for the last few weeks, something which hindered him in the opening month of the season. I can see Tarrawanna getting a result here and if they collect the three points and Port Kembla don’t lose to Corrimal on Sunday, the gap between 4th and 7th will be just four points.
2 — Can Woonona ward off a Bulli battering?
Woonona have a pretty ordinary recent record in the Woonona-Bulli derby at Ocean Park with the last two encounters at the venue combined finishing 11–1 in Bulli’s favour.
The Sharks secured a hard-earned point against Fernhill last weekend after they were reduced to 9 men with Valentino Merxhushi and captain Chris Gibson both seeing red.
Dan McGoldrick’s side have picked up 11 points in their last five matches and the threat of relegation has well and truly been avoided. They have managed to make their way to the final four of the Bert Bampton Cup where they face Corrimal in early July so the focus will probably be on that particular match.
As for Bulli, they will be keen to avoid any slip up ahead of their potential league title decider with Wollongong Olympic next weekend. I spoke with a Bulli player earlier this week who suggested the lose of Gibson could prove to be a real blow as the Sharks’ skipper is always up for the derby. I concur and if Bulli score a couple early, the floodgates could open.
3 — Can Picton all but secure survival with a win over Cringila?
Before the Bushpigs drew 1–1 with Wollongong United last weekend, everyone was looking to their Round 18 clash with South Coast United to determine who would finish at the bottom of the table. Now Picton are four points clear of South Coast and they have a golden opportunity to all but assure their Premier League survival when they take on Cringila at Hume Oval on Sunday.
A win would move Picton seven points clear of United — a gap which seems insurmountable considering the season so far. Picton won this tie 3–1 last season while Cringila have just two points from their last eight matches. Morale will also be low after the Lions squandered a two-goal lead with 10 minutes remaining against Corrimal last weekend where they lost 3–2.
It’s an even money match and I am sitting on the fence with a draw.
Of course, South Coast United could throw these comments out of the basket if they’re able to secure a result away to rivals Albion Park White Eagles. The White Eagles are 3rd and need two more wins to secure finals football.
