Round 9 of the Illawarra Premier League 1 provided upsets and tight contests as the league started to take shape.
Here is the rundown from another weekend filled with goals and action.
Bulli FC 2 South Coast United FC 3
South Coast United continued their strong start to the campaign, with a drama-filled 3-2 win against Bulli on Saturday.
Bulli found themselves in front in the 16th minute, with Lawson Moore scoring an own goal, but the visitors snatched the equaliser in first-half stoppage time through Abdul Alijabery.
United took the lead just six minutes into the second as Joshua Keremelevski converted from the spot. It was Keremelevski’s 12th goal of the season in what has been a flying first few games for the attacker.
Toranosuke Nakajo scored for the second game running to add a third goal for the away side and give United some breathing room.
A stoppage-time goal from Bulli captain Ben McDonald made for an interesting finish, but South Coast maintained their advantage to take the points.
It was the side’s first away win of the season, pushing them into the top five.
Wollongong United FC 2 Helensburgh Thistle FC 1
Wollongong United extended their lead at the top of the table, edging past Helensburgh 2-1 on Saturday.
Daniel Loe gave the Thistle a halftime lead, scoring from the penalty spot 34 minutes in, but Yosuke Akiyama equalised for the hosts seven minutes after the restart.
Kyah Jovanovski scored the winner for United with eight regular minutes to play to ensure the reigning league champions registered their eighth victory of the season.
Rob Jonovski’s team sits six points clear at the top with nine matches played.
Port Kembla FC 1 Albion Park White Eagles FC 2
The White Eagles registered their third win in a row, coming from behind with a late show against Port Kembla.
After a goalless first half, Jordan Prentoski scored his sixth goal of the season to put the home side in front on the hour mark.
It looked like Port would claim their third win of the season, before former Wollongong Wolves young gun Damon Gray equalised in the 87th minute. The striker has had a superb start since joining from the Wolves, with 10 goals so far for his new club.
Albion Park refused to settle for a point, and defender James Baldacchino ensured the side went back to Terry Reserve with all three, scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
George Antoniou’s men have moved to within a point of second-placed Wollongong Olympic following the victory.
Berkeley Sports FC 0 Tarrawanna Blueys FC 1
Tarrawanna took an important step towards getting their season back on track, edging past Berkeley 1-0 on Saturday.
The Blueys were yet to win a match in 2026, as they sat at the foot of the table. The match marked Paul Carter’s first match in charge as coach at Tarrawanna, and it was the perfect start for the former Socceroo.
Veteran defender Darren Stone opened the scoring in the 15th minute, with the visitors managing to hold on to the lead and claim a vital three points.
While the Blueys remain in 12th position, they have drawn closer to those ahead of them, and now have a run of two home matches in a row.
Photo: Gragrapix
Coniston FC 1 Wollongong Olympic FC 0
Coniston picked up a much-needed 1-0 win against reigning champions Wollongong Olympic on Saturday at home.
The side came into the game off the back of a six-game winless run, including heavy defeats to Port Kembla and Helensburgh.
They made a quick start through striker Cameron Morgan, who opened the scoring just 13 minutes in.
Olympic could not find a way back into the game and had to settle for just their second defeat of the season, seeing them fall six points behind league leaders Wollongong United.
Shellharbour FC 2 Cringila Lions 3
Cringila prevailed in another tight Round 9 encounter, downing Shellharbour 3-2.
The hosts found themselves in a commanding position, holding a two-goal lead by the 13th minute, courtesy Danil Romanov and Niko Kalamvokis.
A quickfire double from the Lions midway through the first half squared the ledger as Shotaro Iwamoto and Peter Simonoski both found the net.
The winner came from Cringila’s Isaac Kostovski in the 74th minute, securing the side their second win in a row.
Feature image credit: Richie Wagner
