5 Things to Watch for in Round 4 of the IPL
It has been crazy week of action in the Illawarra Premier League and as we approach the end of the first month of the season the league is beginning to take shape. It’s time to highlight the five things I’ll be keeping an eye out for this weekend.
1 — Who takes the early lead in the title race?
Wollongong Olympic taking on Bulli is undoubtedly the match of the round as the two league heavyweights are going into the clash with perfect records.
Of course, Bulli and Olympic finished first and second in last year’s title battle and with Wollongong United floundering, we could be set for another two-horse race.
Both sides had 2–0 wins over expected lower half opponents in the last round, however, Bulli had to back up on Wednesday night against a determined Coniston team in the FFA Cup. Matt Bailey’s side secured a 3–1 win, however, with Bailey opting to use a number of his star players there could be signs of fatigue during Saturday’s match.
Jack Keating is expected to be out for Olympic which swings the pendulum in Bulli’s favour, however, the playing surface at the PCYC is likely to have it swinging back towards the centre. For mine, this one’s a draw.
2 — Can Cringila break their Blueys hoodoo?
If you read my match report for Cringila vs Picton or listened to this week’s FSC Weekly you would know the Lions have a bit of a complex when it comes to facing Tarrawanna. Let me give you a quick rundown — Cringila have one win and two draws in their last 14 games against Tarrawanna and in the last four encounters between the two sides, the Blueys are up 23 goals to one (5–0, 5–0, 5–0, 8–1).
This Cringila side has a bit more about them compared to recent iterations, and while their defence is still a concern, 13 goals scored in three games is nothing to be sniffed at.
Tarrawanna come into the match on the back of a midweek FFA Cup match where they beat NPL 2 outfit Macarthur Rams. That match could take its toll which makes this a perfect opportunity for the Lions to break their Blueys hoodoo.
3 — The wheels are beginning to turn at Corrimal
What a week for the Corrimal Rangers, after being pumped by Cringila they have managed two wins in four days to get their season up and running.
On Saturday they overcame Port Kembla to record a bizarre 5–4 away win and they backed that up at Macedonia Park on Tuesday night, beating Wollongong United by a goal to nil.
In a gutsy performance, Corrimal were forced into using all three subs in the first half. The front three of Takeru Okada, Tim Wylie and Masahiko Morita were massive for Jason Davkovski and Robert Jonovski’s side with the trio constantly pinning United back.
It isn’t all positive news for the Rangers with four injury concerns coming out of the United match. Raeed Abrahim (broken nose), Klime Sekutkoski (hamstring) and Van Elia (knee) will all miss at least the next couple of weeks while Tim Wylie (groin) is also in doubt for Sunday’s match.
If they can overcome this and beat Albion Park White Eagles on Sunday, they could face the prospect of five wins on the trot with South Coast United and Picton in their following two matches.
4 — Wollongong United wobbles
A week ago Wollongong United were preparing for Round 3 on the back of an 8–0 win in their opening match. Seven days on, they are five points behind title rivals Bulli and Olympic.
In the match against Corrimal, United looked bereft of ideas going forward. The likes of Nathan Elasi, Stephen Domenici, Matthew McNab and Daisuke Yuzawa barely tested Ranger’s goalkeeper Daniel Arcaba. Whenever their attack draws a blank, it will undoubtedly put pressure on a backline featuring a couple of makeshift defenders.
To make matters worse, Alvin Ceccoli (hamstring) and Sam Nastic (calf) were both forced from the field with injuries which are likely to see them both ruled out for Saturday. I would expect Jeff Allport to call upon Mark Every and Ben Wunsch to fill the void.
United now travel to Ocean Park on Saturday to play a desperate Woonona side where anything less than a win could see them go eight points off the leaders.
One would expect United to record a comfortable win here, however, most people also expected them to put away Doonside Hawks, Tarrawanna and Corrimal.
5 — South Coast United’s season starts on Sunday
South Coast had a tough schedule to open the season, facing last year’s Grand Final winners Port Kembla, title contenders Wollongong Olympic and rivals Albion Park White Eagles.
Next up is a trip to Ray Robinson to face a Fernhill side full of confidence after two wins in their opening three matches. The Foxes were expected to be in a similar situation to United at this point and given they already have six runs on the board, they may not show the same levels of dedication.
Having watched United against Olympic and in the second period against the White Eagles, I believe Greg Valic has a side capable of getting a win in this match. As things stand, I have this match down as a draw, however, if South Coast do take home all three points, expect Ikumi Saito to play an integral role.
