If Illawarra Premier League fans are having trouble splitting title rivals Bulli and Wollongong Olympic ahead of this weekend’s top-of-the-table showdown, they aren’t the only ones.
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Even Olympic coach Rob Birkin expects it will be difficult to separate the high-flying duo on Saturday afternoon.
“I think if you are a nail-biter, you are going to have 93 or 94 minutes of biting your nails,” he said.
In what shapes as the match of the season so far, Birkin’s Olympic will host the ladder leaders at PCYC.
Through the opening 10 rounds, Bulli have set the league alight, with nine wins and one draw to sit clear at the top of the competition by three points over Olympic.
A loss to Tarrawanna last month is Olympic’s only real blemish, but they’ve since strung together four impressive wins together heading into their showdown with the leaders.
“We are really looking forward to it and it’s much anticipated from everyone around the club,” Birkin said.
“We are positive and upbeat about it.”
Bulli will be backing up from a difficult mid-week FFA Cup loss to Blacktown City.
The IPL leaders toiled hard but fell 3-0 to a talented City squad at the final hurdle before the Cup’s round-of-32.
Asked if he felt his rivals would be impacted by the mid-week outing late in their match this weekend, Birkin said; “I don’t think so.”
“They have a younger roster.
They are very lively, enthusiastic and play an attacking brand of football too.
“All credit to them because they have played a fair few back to back games, on Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday, and have managed to really excel in both competitions.”
Bulli are attempting to go one better this season after being narrowly beaten by Kemblawarra Fury in last season’s League Championship.
Olympic trailed both clubs when finishing fourth on the ladder during that campaign, but have emerged as a legitimate title contender in 2017.
Birkin has been in charge throughout both seasons and put the improvement down to cohesion within his squad.
“We have kept the same preseason the past couple of years now and that’s held us in good stead to get into the position we’re in,” he said.
“We recruited well and looked at a couple of areas where we probably fell short last season while still keeping the nucleus of that group.
“The nucleus of the side being there for three season in a row means the understanding is there. That’s certainly helped.”
In other matches on Saturday, Tarrawanna play Wollongong United and Albion Park White Eagles meet Port Kembla.
Woonona and Picton Rangers meet in a pivotal battle between the competition’s two cellar dwellers.
On Sunday, Cringila Lions travel to Corrimal.
Third-placed Kemblawarra Fury, who are third in the IPL, host South Coast United.
The Fury were also bundled out of the Cup during the week after going down 5-2 to the Hills Brumbies.
