The 1-1 draw with Picton last weekend has United 10 points behind pacesetters Bulli. On Saturday, Allport travels to Tarrawanna, four points behind United and he acknowledges it could be pivotal.

“We realise it’s a pretty big because if we can get three points it puts a nice gap between us and the chasing pack which are all around that fifth spot,” he said. “We drop points against Tarrawanna and that puts us right into that conversation so obviously the best way to prevent that is by getting a win.”

United and Tarrawanna played out a 2-2 draw in round three, while they met 10 days ago in the quarter-final of the Bert Bampton Cup.

United won 4-3 but not before a scare which saw the Blueys almost overturn a four-goal deficit.

“It was a strange game because I thought we played some of our best football in the first half and in the second they got themselves right back into it,” Allport said.

“Tarrawanna will take a lot of confidence from what they did in the second half while we just need to get back to the type of football we know and showed we can play and do that for 90 minutes not 45.”

United have been bolstered by the midweek signing of ex-Central Coast Mariners and Young Socceroos defender Hayden Morton.

The 24-year-old has spent that last two seasons with Wollongong Wolves and Sutherland Sharks and Allport expects Morton to feature against the Blueys.

If Tarrawanna were to win, it would blast open the battle for the top five with Corrimal (sixth) and Port Kembla (seventh) going head-to-head at Memorial Park on Sunday.

The Rangers have won their last three matches in all competitions but failure to win against Port, combined with a Blueys win, would mean just four points would separate fourth to seventh.

Round 14

Saturday (2.30pm)

TARRAWANNA v WOLLONGONG UNITED at Tarrawanna Oval, WOLLONGONG OLYMPIC v FERNHILL at PCYC, WOONONA v BULLI at Ocean Park, ALBION PARK v SOUTH COAST UNITED at Terry Reserve. 

Sunday (2.30pm)

CORRIMAL v PORT KEMBLA at Memorial Park, PICTON v CRINGILA at Hume Oval.