Defence is top of coach Ian Connelly's mind as his Sharks prepare to return home to face Tarrawanna on Saturday afternoon.
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The fixture at Ocean Park is set to be one of a handful of Premier League games to go ahead this weekend - with four already postponed - as wet weather continues to decimate the competition.
The stop-start nature in 2022 has added an air of unpredictability to the season, with Woonona restricted to just two games so far. The 2020 league champions fell 1-0 to Wollongong Olympic in their first outing on March 27, before causing a huge upset by beating Coniston 2-1 the following week.
Connelly was particularly pleased with his side's ability to stick to the game plan and maintain a defensive mindset in that victory, and hopes to see a similar performance against the Blueys.
"Defence is key. It doesn't matter who you're up against, you're really got to make sure that defensively you're sound and work from there in regards to when your opposition has the ball,'' he said. ''If you can close them down quickly and get possession, you can counter-attack as quickly as possible. They're the key areas for me.
"Defence first, and once we win the ball we will look to put our opponents under pressure quickly."
While it's been three weeks since Woonona's last IPL game, the Blueys took to the field on Monday, playing out a 1-1 draw with Cringila.
Scott Chipperfield's men then backed up for an Australia Cup match two days later, where they fell 8-0 to NPL club Rockdale Ilinden. However, Connelly remains wary of his opponent's match fitness.
"I watched Tarrawanna last weekend and they're well drilled and got a good coach. I think it's going to be an interesting encounter [on Saturday]," he said.
Only one other Premier League match remains standing this weekend, which is also set to take place on Saturday, with the Lions ready to host Wollongong United at Crehan Park.
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
