5 Things to Watch for in Round 1 of the IPL
Welcome to the first edition of what I hope to be a weekly post of the five things I’ll be keeping my eye on in the Illawarra Premier League. Fingers crossed we get a full round of fixtures to kick off the season this weekend.
1 — FFA Cup Hangover?
Port Kembla and Wollongong United were two sides expected to go on some sort of the FFA Cup run and I know the latter had genuine ambitions of making the national draw. The reigning Premier League champs were poor in their 3–0 defeat away to Dunbar Rovers, while United’s shock 2–1 defeat to Doonside Hawks stunned the Illawarra football community.
Both sides will be favourites heading into their Round 1 fixtures, (Port away to South Coast United and United at home to Corrimal), however, a few bruised egos could see either of these sides make a stumbling start to their league seasons.
2 — Ceccoli on the verge of an incredible comeback
Kemblawarra Fury captain, Alvin Ceccoli suffered a ruptured Achilles in last year’s qualifying final against Bulli. At the time, I assumed (along with many people I spoke with regarding the issue) the 43-year-olds remarkable career had come to a tragic conclusion. As the offseason trundled along I heard rumours the ex-Socceroo was determined to make a comeback, I had my doubts but then, at the end of January, I saw this…
Ceccoli is now on the books at Wollongong United and on the Football South Coast Weekly his coach, Jeff Allport commented on the dedicated and professional approach Ceccoli has taken to his rehab. Two weeks ago Ceccoli played in a trial for the U19s and last weekend he played a trial for the U23s, while I doubt he will start I think he may earn a spot on the bench, moving a step closer to a miraculous recovery.
3 — Early advantage in top five race
Albion Park White Eagles vs Cringila is sure to be a compelling match. Both sides will be aiming to make the finals and while a loss on the opening day of the season won’t destroy the chances of either side, a three-point advantage over a rival straight off the bat would be a massive confidence boost.
I’ll be at Terry Reserve for this meeting and I’m looking forward to seeing new striker Chris Gomez once more. I saw him against Bulli and South Coast Flame and he seems to have a bit of class about him.
I have been told on countless occasions how a strong Cringila translates to a strong Premier League. I am yet to see a strong Cringila but a couple of IPL coaches have suggested to me that Wally Savor’s side are a good bet for finals football.
The draw is my tip, it may be worth listening to the preview of the match on the Football South Coast Weekly.
4 — Top flight football returns to the Dandy
On Sunday afternoon, top-flight football will return to Dandaloo Sports Ground for the first time since 2015 with South Coast United taking on Port Kembla.
South Coast will call the Dandy home this season while Ian McLennan Park gets redeveloped with the inclusion of an artificial pitch. The pint-sized facility on the edge of the highway has seen some classic encounters over the years, one that will stick with the Port Kembla faithful will be their dramatic last day win over Dandaloo to claim the 2010 League title. I imagine many Port fans will experience a rush of nostalgia as they walk over the bridge on Sunday.
United will have one match at Ian McLennan Park, a night game in Round 2 vs Wollongong Olympic.
5 — Fernhill are back in the Premier League
After a 5–0 hiding against them in the Preseason Cup, Tarrawanna weren’t who Fernhill would have wanted to face in first game back in the top tier since 2014. As it stands, Fernhill’s playing roster just doesn’t hold up in comparison to sides expected to be in a similar position, especially in terms of experience.
I met their new coach, Bruce Tilt earlier in the week and he seemed extremely confident he would be able to manufacture the points required to keep the side off the bottom. He pointed to the potential of the likes of Jordan Hughes, Mitch Turner and Shinsei Tanaka and he’s right, they all have potential but Sunday’s match will be a baptism of fire.
Comfortable win for Tarrawanna here but Fernhill’s season won’t be defined by these sort of matches.
The pitch at Ray Robinson deserves a mention, Bulli played their FFA Cup match there on Tuesday night in torrential rain and it seemed to hold up well.
