Hungry Lions poised to pounce on first win of Illawarra Premier League season

The Lions will take on South Coast United in a battle of the cellar dwellers at Ian McLennan Park, with both sides desperate to secure their first win of the Illawarra Premier League season.

The game will also mark Michlmayr's official debut in charge after he took over the reins following Stuart Beedie's sudden departure last Saturday as he prepares to coach Port Kembla in 2021.

Michlmayr, who will also guide Cringila next season, said he looked forward to the challenge but he wouldn't underestimate South Coast.

"We've really put in the yards this week to try get a win and the boys are buzzing. I'm trying to focus on the rest of this year before getting ahead of myself. I want to make sure we do the right thing to finish this year off well and build into next year," he told the Mercury.

"I expect them [SCU] to be defensively sound. Greg [Valic] always has a very structured team defensively which is hard to break down, and I expect nothing different. And I expect a few young, mobile guys to be buzzing around up front."

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With finals out of the picture, a key mantra for Michlmayr in the remaining three rounds will be consistency.

On paper, Cringila has had a consistent season - five draws from eight outings. However, those results don't tell the full story.

The Lions were able to take a point from their games against IPL title contenders Wollongong United, Bulli and Bellambi, but could only muster a draw with strugglers Coniston. In between, Cringila were thrashed by Woonona, Wollongong Olympic and Tarrawanna.

But the side will take plenty of heart from their most recent result: a 3-all draw with ladder leaders United.

"The win would mean a lot. We've been dropping points where he shouldn't, and picking up points where expected we shouldn't," Michlmayr said.

"We've had some big draws, we've drawn with some genuine title contenders. And while we can be proud of that, we lost to the two sides we beat in the pre season. The pressure is on us now I guess because we're playing sides that we expect to beat.

"We've got to live up to that, and how we're playing with our structures and believe in it. We will have a few forced changes due to suspensions. But I'm going to roll with most of the side who did well on the weekend."

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Round nine of the Premier League season will kick off with Bulli taking on Corrimal at Balls Paddock on Saturday. It's a must-win situation for the reigning IPL premiers, while Bulli are eyeing off a spot in the top two.

In Saturday's other games, Bellambi will face Wollongong United at Elizabeth Park and Woonona hosts Coniston at Ocean Park.

The round will conclude on Sunday with must-win games for Tarrawanna and Albion Park as they look to keep their finals hopes alive.

The Blueys will tackle Port Kembla at Wetherall Park while the White Eagles will meet Wollongong Olympic at Terry Reserve.