Round 12 provided some serious entertainment, with high-scoring clashes and memorable comebacks.
Here is the review of how it all played out as the top division of Illawarra football continued to deliver in 2026.
Bulli 2 Wollongong Olympic 3
Wollongong Olympic produced a spectacular comeback to snatch victory from two goals down against Bulli and win 3-2 at Balls Paddock.
Bulli put together a strong opening to the match, and just four minutes in, Lewis Grimshaw tried his luck with a dipping long-range effort, forcing Olympic goalkeeper Hayden Durose into a sharp stop.
The home side were rewarded for this good start and took the lead in the 18th minute through Ben McDonald. Some persistent pressing from Bulli saw the ball coughed up on the left wing. The ball came centrally, where Deakin Peterson’s deflected shot was fired home by the Bulli captain from close in.
The goalkeepers showed their talent midway through the first half, with a pair of top saves from Bulli’s Ben McGinnes and Durose in quick succession.
Bulli kept their 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Soon after halftime, Bulli doubled their lead through Peterson, who profited from the aftermath of a loose clearance to slide a neat finish from the edge of the box past Durose.
Only a couple of minutes later, the hosts rattled the bar through Grimshaw, who got unlucky with a sensational volley on the bounce.
Olympic started to get some control in the game after this latest Bulli effort and halved the deficit just after the hour mark through Jason Madonis bundling the ball over the line, following Kyle Jackson’s cross.
Moments after Madonis’ goal, the visitors restored parity through former Bulli prodigy Harry Callahan, who shifted the ball neatly onto his left foot on the edge of the box and slotted it past McGuinnes.
Both goalkeepers continued to be called into action, including a crucial double save from McGinnes in the 82nd minute.
McGinnes’ goalkeeping could not hold off the resurgent Olympic from grabbing the winning goal later on in stoppage time, courtesy of a well-placed header from Mitchell Brooker in the aftermath of a set piece.
The victory ensures Olympic keep pace with the top teams in the competition, currently occupying second position.
Coniston 0 Cringila Lions 3
Cringila Lions secured a resounding 3-0 win against rivals Coniston at JJ Kelly Park on Saturday, as the side continued their push towards the finals places.
The hosts thought they had taken the lead around the half-hour mark when Cameron Morgan found the net, but the flag went up against the striker for offside.
The Lions wasted no time in getting the ball down the other end, and James Anagnostopoulos opened the scoring against his former side just before halftime, with his first goal of the campaign.
The scoreline remained tight until the 71st minute when star forward Peter Simonoski, off the bench for the visitors, rifled a trivela shot past Coniston goalkeeper Kaydin Harrison.
Simonoski wasn’t done yet and buried his second goal of the game in the dying embers to round out a standout result in Round 12.
A run of three wins in their past four matches has lifted Cringila into the battle for the finals places, with South Coast United (5th), Bulli (7th) and Coniston (8th) all in close proximity.
Helensburgh Thistle 3 Port Kembla 2
Helensburgh compounded Port Kembla’s woes with a dramatic 3-2 win at Rex Jackson Park on Saturday.
It took the Thistle less than 60 seconds to open the scoring through Michael McStay, who netted his eighth goal of the season.
Taiga Nakayama restored parity for the away side midway through the half to send the teams into the sheds with the scores level.
Less than 10 minutes after the break, Helensburgh were awarded a penalty that Daniel Loe converted to re-establish the hosts’ lead.
Just five minutes later, Nakayama notched his brace and squared the ledger once again to set up a thrilling finish.
It was Cody Cuthbertson who produced the decisive moment in the 67th minute to earn Helensburgh the points and end a four-game winless run to keep the side in third.
Shellharbour 1 Tarrawanna Blueys 3
Paul Carter’s resurgent Tarrawanna took another step forward on Saturday, registering back-to-back wins with a 3-1 victory over Shellharbour.
Advin Trebincevic put the Blueys in front just 12 minutes in, a lead the side held onto by the halftime break.
Kade Kinsella doubled the away side’s advantage in the 73rd minute, coming off the bench to great effect.
Salieu Kamara also played the role of super sub, scoring a little over 10 minutes after coming on, with four regular minutes to play.
Nathan Cario grabbed a late consolation for Shellharbour in a result that saw Tarrawanna leapfrog their opponents on the table.
Wollongong United 3 Berkeley Sports 0
Wollongong United got back to winning ways with a 3-0 win against Berkeley Sports on Saturday.
United made a quick start to the contest and opened the scoring five minutes in through dynamic winger Nav Darjani.
The hosts also made a flying start to the second half with two goals before the hour mark.
Yosuke Akiyama found the net only four minutes into the second half, before James Stojanovski added the side’s third goal in the 58th minute.
It was an important result for the league leaders as they put their Round 10 defeat to fierce rivals Wollongong Olympic behind them.
South Coast United 3 Albion Park White Eagles 3
South Coast United and Albion Park White Eagles had to settle for a point each in an exhilarating six-goal thriller in the only Sunday kick-off of Round 12.
This match shaped up as a vital game for both teams as they target a finish towards the top of the table in 2026.
It was the visitors who had the advantage heading into the sheds, thanks to Michael Mendes’ superb strike in the 36th minute. The winger lined up an audacious volley from the right edge of the box that nestled in the far side of the goal.
It didn’t take long for what proved to be a high-scoring second half to get started as Josh Keremelevski equalised just six minutes after the restart.
Only four minutes after Keremelevski’s equaliser, Jayden Makowski got Albion Park back in front, but the scoring was nowhere near finished.
Thomas Kasunic put South Coast United level in the 63rd minute, which appeared to be the final action. Then came stoppage time.
Former Marconi Stallions’ stalwart Nathan Millgate re-established the White Eagles’ lead in the 93rd minute, and it was celebrated like the winner.
However, there was even more late drama, with the hosts awarded a last-gasp penalty to salvage a point.
Anthony Vrlic took responsibility and converted to conclude one of the games of the round to finish off Round 12.
Report by Tim Gibson
Feature image credit: Kylie Roodenrys
