Match of the Round
South Coast United defeated Bulli FC 4-3 @ Ian McLennan Park
A see-sawing battle saw South Coast United break a five-game losing streak in a seven-goal thriller.
Stipe Simundic opened the scoring as he thumped a free kick towards goal. The shot appeared to take a nasty deflection as it wrong-footed Daniel Collison on 12 minutes.
On the half-hour, Mason Elphick received the ball on the right flank. He did well to cut inside before firing a shot that squeezed inside the near post.
Bulli turned the match around just five minutes later. Some sloppy defending from United forced a turnover, and the ball fell back to Ben McDonald, whose side-footed shot deflected in off Harry Churchill.
Just ten minutes after the restart, Anthony Vrlic restored parity, dancing past a defender before firing a left-footed shot that clipped the defender and looped over Collison and in.
On 77 minutes, South Coast United hit the lead. A swift counter saw the ball crossed in from the left, finding Jake Gander lurking at the far post. He nudged the ball past Collison to edge the home side 3-2 in front.
Just a few minutes later, Gander turned provider, crossing for Archer Butkovic, who flicked the ball past Collison to give United a two-goal buffer.
McDonald’s turn and shot from the edge of the box in injury time sent some butterflies through the United camp. However, they held on to claim the win.
It was a missed opportunity for Bulli, who could have put themselves in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot. Their season now hinges on their last two games, both at home against Tarrawanna and Port Kembla.
South Coast United’s season has been full of ups and downs, and with playoffs out of reach but safety secured, they’ll look to finish the season strong. Their next game is away to Port Kembla.
Berkeley Sports defeated Tarrawanna Blueys 1-0 @ Tarrawanna Oval
A fiercely contested game saw Berkeley Sports edge out the Blueys, in what has been a tale of two fortunes for both clubs. The win all but secures PL1 football for the Goats next season, while Tarrawanna remain locked in a fight for survival.
Chris Hollinghead scored his 11th goal of the season to sink the Blueys, who have found the net just once in their last three games.
They’ll need to find a way to start scoring if they’re to avoid the prospect of relegation. The Blueys face Bulli and Helensburgh over the next two rounds, and with both clubs also in the hunt for a playoff spot, these games could come down to one or two key moments.
Berkeley Sports, meanwhile, will breathe easy as they look to close out what has been a satisfactory season for the Goats. They face Coniston next weekend.
Albion Park White Eagles defeated Port Kembla 2-0 @ Terry Reserve
There’s a new league leader in PL1. The White Eagles have gone five wins and a draw from their last six games, quietly going about their business as the clubs around them have faltered.
Jayden Makowski’s brace saw the White Eagles move two points clear at the top of the table. With one goal just after half-time and another late on, the Eagles sunk a Port Kembla side who were chasing their third big scalp in a row, having already disposed of Wollongong United and Wollongong Olympic in their last two matches.
Albion Park’s robust style of play proved too much for Port Kembla, as they managed to break them down and earn a deserved victory.
The Eagles now have destiny in their own hands, but they’ll need results against Cringila Lions and Wollongong Olympic to seal it. A blockbuster couple of weeks lies ahead.
Wollongong United defeated Helensburgh Thistle 1-0 @ Rex Jackson Oval
Wollongong United’s season has unravelled over the last month, with the club dropping valuable points. At one point, Wollongong United were seven points clear and coasting. Now, they find themselves in fourth spot but, incredibly, two wins from their last couple of games could see them reclaim top spot.
Jordan Nikolovski’s finish on the hour was enough to overcome a Helensburgh side that is difficult to beat on home turf. It was a tight contest, with both sides creating chances.
Helensburgh briefly sat atop the ladder in the early part of the season and now find themselves in a battle just to make the playoffs. For a side widely tipped to struggle this season, they have proven doubters wrong and remain a constant threat to any team.
The next two weeks will be season-defining for both clubs. Wollongong United tackle Wollongong Olympic before facing Cringila Lions in the final round.
Helensburgh are not only pushing for a finals berth, but could also have a big say in what happens at the other end of the ladder. They visit Shellharbour FC this weekend before hosting Tarrawanna on the final day. Games have all of a sudden taken on added significance.
Cringila Lions defeated Shellharbour 1-0 at Crehan Park
Two sides with plenty to play for battled through a hard-fought game, with the Lions claiming an important and narrow victory.
Jake Bradshaw’s goal inside the opening ten minutes was all that separated the two sides.
The win is Cringila’s fourth on the trot and their ninth from their last ten matches. The mountain of points has surged them to within three points of what would be one of the most unlikely title wins in recent history.
The Lions, however, still remain outsiders, as they face Albion Park White Eagles and Wollongong United in their last two fixtures. Even if they take maximum points, they’ll still need to rely on other results, but anyone writing them off should be wary.
Shellharbour FC have been highly competitive over the last month since appointing their third coach of the season. Ironically, it’s Harvey Rodriguez who has taken the reins, now in a battle to save his current club, which finds itself in a dogfight with his former club.
You can’t script this stuff.
Coniston FC defeated Wollongong Olympic 1-0 @ Ian McLennan Park
We saw a replay of last season’s Grand Final at Ian McLennan Park on Sunday, with Coniston avenging their Grand Final loss with a gritty win that dented Olympic’s title hopes and forced a change at the top of the ladder.
Cameron Morgan’s goal on 74 minutes was enough to derail Olympic, whose free-flowing attack has stalled. Wollongong Olympic have not scored in over four and a half hours across their last three games. The primary reason they now find themselves having conceded top spot.
That said, Wollongong Olympic still have destiny in their own hands. They’ll need to find the net over their next two games, against Wollongong United and, in a possible league championship showdown, Albion Park White Eagles in the final round.
The win still gives Coniston mathematical hope of a playoff berth. However, they’ll need to win both remaining games, against Berkeley Sports and South Coast United, while hoping for results to go their way in what would be a minor miracle.
