Five burning questions ahead of the Illawarra Premier League decider

Cringila and Coniston will battle at WIN Stadium for the IPL spoils on Sunday, with both clubs hoping to end decades-long premiership droughts. It's been nearly 30 years since the Lions last played in a decider, 22 years for 'Cono'.

As the countdown continues until Sunday's decider, we took a look at where the game could be won and lost.

Who can own the moment?

Cringila and Coniston both have big and proud supporter bases, and a massive crowd is expected to be at WIN Stadium on Sunday. Both teams will be desperate to wash away years of that burden of a premiership expectation, and the match could come down to who handles the moment better.

It's something that Wollongong Olympic achieved in 2022, ending their 37-year title drought with a 2-1 victory over United last October.

Lions captain Peter Simonoski is aware of the pressure building for both sides this time around.

"It's going to be massive. It will be big for the community and the Macedonian fans as well," Simonoski told the Mercury.

"Hopefully we can pack out the stadium on Sunday. I think all the boys will be buzzing. But I think at the end of the day we've just got to take it as any normal game. Just take it like we normally would and just be excited to play here. It's a good field, a good stadium."

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For his opposite number, Cono skipper Lukas Stergiou believes this is the grand final that "everyone wanted to see".

"I think as a result people will turn out to watch it. A lot of the people who've watched games know that these are the two teams that deserve to be there on Sunday," Stergiou said.

"It will be a fiery game. It's massive for the club and they're very excited. The supporters, players are very excited. Everyone is very excited."

Attack, attack, attack

Both sides aren't afraid to have a crack in their front third, which has resulted in the Lions and Cono bombing in plenty of goals in 2023. Cringila and Coniston each found the back of the net more than 50 goals during the regular season and fans can expected another exciting affair on Sunday.

So who should you keep an eye on?

Well, the obvious nomination is Simonoski. The former Wolves striker has been in supreme form this year, winning the IPL Golden Boot race after scoring 31 goals during the season - he has added three more to his tally during finals.

However, 'Simo' isn't the only attacking weapon at Cringila coach Jorge De Matos's disposal. Stefan Dimoski and Anthony Krsteski are always busy moving forward, while midfielder Ben Zucco has set up some superb goals for his teammates in 2023.

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For Coniston, Toby Norval topped their goal-scoring list with 11 during their campaign. He also scored their opening goal in their 3-1 win over Bulli to kick-start the finals and then produced the match-winner in their 2-1 victory over Olympic a fortnight ago.

Norval's teammates Sammy Matthews, Chris Arditti and Matt Floro aren't afraid to take their opportunities and will give headaches for Cringila. Also, keep an eye on Daniel Loe - the defender floated forward to head home the winner against Albion Park last Sunday.

Defence, clap, clap, clap

Speaking of defence, Cringila and Coniston both two of the best goalkeepers in the IPL - Nikola Ristevski and Kaydin Harrison - who are both surrounded by solid defensive units. The Lions boasted the no.1 defence during the season, conceding just 20 goals, while Cono shipped 24 - equal with champions Albion Park.

Former Cono talent Ekoue D'Almeida has been a rock at the back for Crini in 2023, sharing the workload with the likes of Jonah Kalmanidis and Andre Dias.

For Coniston, Jake Morlando provides plenty of run from the back, while Loe and Takayuki Kayano have been outstanding all year.

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Stergiou said defence was top of mind for his side heading into Sunday's clash.

"It's their ability to score goals, really. We know that their front three in particular are dangerous. So for us, defence is key," he said.

"It's about not making mistakes and not leaking goals. If we can do that right and hold them out, we know we have quality around the park and can do damage up front as well."

Who will stay in control?

The possession battle will be vital at WIN Stadium, and a deciding factor may be who can keep the ball for longer. Both of these sides like to get on top in the possession and territory game, and both sides are strong in the middle.

Zucco has been a massive midfield presence for the Lions all season, while former Wolves talent Harrison Taranto has had an immediate positive effect on the Crehan Park club.

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On the opposite side of the field, Stergiou is a calming influence for Coniston and he is always well supported by Matthews. Jason Zufic can play anywhere and was outstanding in the midfield against Albion Park last week.

"They're a good side, I think they've gone undefeated in 10 or so games so they've finished the season strongly and have quality players all over the field," Simonoski said.

"It didn't matter where we played Albion Park or Coniston, it will be a cracker of a game on Sunday."

Recent history

However, in a move that almost seems fitting, the two teams that opened this year's campaign will close out the season on Sunday.

Cringila got the edge over their rivals in that fiery outing on March 3 at Crehan Park, winning 4-2 in a match where four red cards were dished out. In the return fixture at JJ Kelly Park in May, the sides played out a 1-1 stalemate.

It's hard to read into what those results equate to heading into the grand final, but it should be an entertaining affair.

Kickoff for the game on Sunday is 3pm at WIN Stadium.

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