Corrimal Rangers shot Premier League title credentials in Frat Cup win

The Rangers showed they are the real deal in 2019 after securing their first piece of top grade silverware in more than three decades with a convincing 3-1 win over Albion Park in the Fraternity Club Cup final.

After heading into half time locked at 0-0, Corrimal flexed their muscle in the second half to take first blood in the Illawarra's top division. A standout display from new addition Tomoki Wada helped propel his squad to victory as the Japanese attacker, Matthew Galantri and Daniel Carreno all got on the scoresheet.

Park's Shaun McRae scored a late consolation goal, but it could do little to take the shine of a stellar Rangers performance in testing wet conditions. 

"I am very happy for the club and for the boys performance today," Corrimal co-coach Jason Davkovski.

"Full credit to the boys. It will give us heaps of confidence heading into the season. We have got a new team this season but I see us as a group progressing very, very well."

Quizzed if he believed his squad could be a title threat in 2019, Davkovski added; "I know it is the old cliche that we take one game at a time, but we will see how we go. We need to worry about Bulli next week."

Corrimal would have been leading at half time had it not been for the efforts of White Eagles keeper Brad Jardine.

The Park shot-stopper was drawn into a pair of fine saves by Carreno in the five minutes before half time, with the second being forced onto the crossbar. 

However, there was little Jardine could do about Carreno's opener.

The striker was found in open space eight yards out by Galantri and easily slotted the ball into the bottom corner to put Rangers up 1-0 in the 48^th minute.

Galantri got one of his own just six minutes later when he latched onto a cross at the back post and volleyed it into the bottom corner.

The silverware was sealed when Wada spotted Jardine off his line in the 75^th minute and fired over his head from 40 yards. 

McRae scored with five minutes remaining, but White Eagles were outplayed over the course of the 90 minutes. 

"We were sloppy with our defending and going forward to be fair," Park coach Paul Carter said. "We will work at it. I am still happy with where we are and how our confidence is.

"I am still happy with all of that. We have got things we have to still do. We gave them too much space and I know [Wada] is quality.

"That was something we spoke about before the game but he still showed his quality and found space around the park. I thought he dictated the game to be honest."

Earlier in the afternoon, IPL powerhouse Wollongong Olympic hammered the District League's Bellambi Rosellas 7-1 in the third-place playoff.