3 Things to Watch for in Round 21 of the IPL*
The title winners of the top two tiers of local football go on the line on Saturday with Bulli needing one more result to claim back-to-back titles while in the District League a Coniston win over Bellambi would secure promotion to the PremieLeague.
Without a doubt, the most poignant moment of the weekend will come on Sunday when Port Kembla invite the footballing community to Wetherall Park to remember the life of Justin Cario who will have passed eight days prior.
1 — Bulli to secure more bounty at the Bird’s Nest
Bulli travel to Terry Reserve on Saturday knowing anything but a defeat will seal back-to-back League Championships and their sixth overall. Last time out, Bulli pushed past Cringila thanks to a solitary David Abel header which extends their unbeaten run to 13 matches which includes 11 wins.
Their only obstacle is third-placed Albion Park White Eagles who held an identical record with Bulli in the second half of the season up until Round 19 where the drew with Fernhill which they backed up with a 4–0 belting at the hands of Wollongong Olympic. They were diabolical at times against Olympic with the players marking shadows for much of the final 45 minutes which would have undoubtedly left the side searching for answers ahead of the finals.
Before the first week of the finals, the White Eagles face the daunting task of taking on a red-hot Bulli as well as a plodding Wollongong United who still have the potential to become real contenders. Coach Paul Carter maintains this horrific run in is ideal for his side on the grounds that these are the teams they will need to beat if they are to make an impact in the finals. On the evidence of recent weeks, that impact could be minimal, especially if Carter can’t resurrect the once stout defence who have shipped two goals more (11) in the last seven matches compared to the opening 12. This trend seems a certainty to continue against the League’s best offence.
Albion Park are capable of getting a result as they were a little unfortunate to go down 2–1 in a heated affair earlier in the season at Balls Paddock. However, I expect Bulli to win the match and therefore the League.
Correction — if Bulli draw and Olympic win there will be two points between the sides with a round remaining, therefore, Bulli need to beat Albion Park to secure the title with a match to spare.
2 — Can another club win a league title at the ground of another club with a name associated with a bird?
Another league title could be won on the weekend with District League leaders Coniston taking on second-placed Bellambi at Elizabeth Park. Coniston currently lead the Rosellas by a single point after dropping just two games all season and with two matches remaining, a win for Rod Williams’ side would secure them a position at the top table for the first time in five years.
Bellambi have led the second division for all but five weeks after a phenomenal start which saw them score an average of just under four goals a game through the first half of the season. In recent weeks, their ageing squad seems to have caught up with them slightly with draws against lowly Kiama and Berkeley giving their promotion rivals the upper hand. They are still not short of a goalscorer with 40-year-old Ilija Prenzoski still proving a threat with 17 goals in 19 matches.
These sides met in Round 10 with Coniston becoming the first side to beat Bellambi with a 2–1 result in front of the biggest regular-season crowd I have seen in my admittedly short time covering the game. I expect a similar crowd to pack into the Avery and I am predicting a similar scoreline.
3 — Port Kembla to celebrate the life of Justin Cario
The most important role football has in life is how it brings people together off the park. Last weekend the local footballing community lost one of their own in Justin Cario at the tender age of 20.
His family, friends and Port Kembla FC have been in mourning ever since the news broke and that led to an incredibly moving funeral service for the young man on Friday.
Ahead of their match on Sunday, Port Kembla will be paying tribute to the life Justin Cario lived. This is a meaningful opportunity for the local footballing community to show their support to those closest to Justin.
I spoke about Justin on this week’s FSC Weekly, however, I only knew him as footballer — a fine one at that. Josh Crapis and Kyle Senior both knew him as much more than that and I was honoured to listen to them speak about Justin in a stirring tribute to their beloved friend.
Kick off times for the match between Port and Wollongong United have been pushed back to 3 pm while the under 19s and under 23s remain at the usual times. There will be tributes throughout the day with the main ceremony taking place between the under 23s and First Grade.
