Woonona increased their buffer on last-placed Bellambi with a hard fought 1-0 win over Cringila Lions on Saturday.

A left-foot strike from Cameron Banks just after the half-hour mark ensured the Sharks would leave Ocean Park with three valuable points.

The result has placed a six-point gap between themselves and the relegation axe, but coach Rob Bemi will be looking for improvement from his men if they are to continue their push up the ladder.

The Sharks were lucky the Lions didn't snatch something from Saturday's match after resting on their laurels following the game's only goal.

"It wasn't pretty at all. We had our backs to the wall and were afraid to get forward to finish them off," Bemi said.

"We couldn't finish. Their keeper made a couple of saves and just parried it or it dropped to us and we still weren't finishing them off. Two-nil would have been a different story.

"We are panicking a little bit at the back and when we get our nose in front we are quite happy to sit there and grind rather than continuing on with it.

"Three points is three points, though."

Many of the Sharks' chances to put the game to bed came in the second half.

Banks and Valentino Merxhushi both forced good, low stops out of Michael Takacs on the hour mark and the front three piled on the pressure with another Sharks attacking burst just minutes later.

Ben Ellul charged through the midfield and had a three-on-one with Merxhushi and Banks in front of him but, when the ball got back to Ellul, he fired in a tame effort.

The Lions, however, weren't without chances of their own.

They built extensive periods of pressure but also couldn't find the telling blow.

"I am really proud of our boys. We totally dominated the game from start to finish possession-wise. We just couldn't put the ball in the net," Cringila coach Chris Jackson said.

"Unfortunately that has been our story this year, having periods of domination but just not scoring."

In other matches, Shell Cove registered two 1-1 draws to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches.

They drew with Wollongong United on Saturday and backed up against Port Kembla on Sunday.