Wollongong United have strengthened their chances of claiming Illawarra the Premier League title, after a brilliant performance from Mitsuo Yamada inspired them to a 2-0 win over Bulli on Sunday.
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The match had been billed as a top-of-the-table blockbuster in the lead-up, however, it was a mostly dour affair at Macedonia Park.
In the end, it was the class of Yamada that proved the difference, with the midfielder setting up two goals. The first came through a low assist to Josh Correia just after half-time, before his aerial cross set up the winner for Dinko Terzic midway through the stanza.
The result means United will give themselves some distance at the top of the ladder, while Bulli remain in second.
"It's a huge win in the title race. We said to each other at the start of the game that it was going to be crucial to get the three point. We came out a bit slow, a bit flat, but we came into the changerooms [at halftime], tweaked a few things and came out better in the second half," Correia told the Mercury.
"It was nice to get a goal, but it was all about the ball from 'Mitsy'. He's been class all season and he's everywhere. He's been crucial all year and he was last year too, he's brilliant."
Both teams looked a little tentative during the opening 30 minutes, with neither side really grabbing the ascendancy. United had a couple of half-chances from the edge of the box, however, they didn't really faze Bulli goalkeeper Seiya Miyamoto.
Kyah Jovanovski looked United's most dangerous player in the front third, while Bulli looked happy to try and maintain possession.
The game remained a dour affair for the remainder of the half, with the score still 0-0 at the break.
The match needed a spark, and it was Yamada who provided it five minutes into the second stanza, mustering a dangerous through-ball for Correia to tap home.
Correia almost doubled that advantage when he found himself one-on-one with Miyamoto soon after, however, the Bulli gloveman made a solid save. At the other end, a nice cross from Alex Rooke found Ben McDonald's head inside the box, but his attempt was just wide.
It kick-started a run of momentum for Bulli, who were able to force a couple of corners. However, the visitors couldn't capitalise on their opportunities.
But it was United who hit the scoreboard next. A superb cross from Yamada found the head of Terzic, who floated the ball over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net to give his side a 2-0 lead after 72 minutes.
Terzic had a chance to complete a brace heading into the final 10 minutes, but his long-range shot was wide.
It mattered not in the end, as United claimed a solid 2-0 victory.
Elsewhere, Coniston continued their recent resurgence, claiming their third successive victory with a 2-1 win over Port Kembla.
Cringila bounced back from last week's loss to Bulli to defeat the White Eagles 3-2, and Olympic strengthened their hold of third place with a 4-1 victory over the Blueys, who have now dropped their past three matches.
In the battle to avoid relegation, South Coast United and the Sharks played out a 1-1 stalemate on Saturday, while Corrimal and Bellambi had a 0-0 draw on Sunday.
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