How each Illawarra Premier and District League team can make grand final

There was a mix of both disappointment and joy last week for the teams taking part this week's grand final qualifiers.

In the top flight, Cringila looked dead and buried against league champions Albion Park, before doing the unthinkable and overturning a two goal deficit to win 3-2 to make the grand final.

Now the White Eagles must beat Coniston for a rematch with the Lions. As for 'Cono', they had a huge upset of their own by knocking off defending grand final winners Olympic by coming from behind to win 2-1. It's a huge turnaround for Coniston, with coach Franc Pierro only taking charge half-way through the season. Now they are gunning for their first decider since 2001.

Then in the District League, Gerringong continued their fairy tale with a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Oak Flats.

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As for Fernhill, they were forced to lick their wounds after a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of league champions Shellharbour.

So who will win both fixtures to meet Cringila and Shellharbour in the deciders at WIN Stadium?

Each coach had their say.

"There's a few bumps and bruises and a few egos that have been shot but that's semi-final football," APWE coach George Antoniou said.

"We've just got to get ready. We're probably playing the team that's been in the best form so far in the semis. We've got to be ready.

"The hunger is always there. We've had a good year up until now and we want to carry that through to the semi-finals and hopefully we can get the job done on Sunday."

The coach identified the key parts of their game they would need to improve to go on and beat Coniston as well as winning the big dance.

"We've got to be better at our finishing and our discipline has to be a lot better," he added.

Read more: How Cringila went from being cellar-dwellers to making the IPL grand final

"Definitely just our general play from front to back has to be better all throughout the 90 minutes because Coniston can punish you at any time. I think they've got threats all over the field. They're playing very good football at the moment. They're punishing teams when they need to.

"We've got to be at our best to be able to stop them. They're in red hot form at the moment and the overall squad is very strong."

"It's a massive day for us," Coniston coach Franc Pierro said.

"It's something that our club hasn't achieved in the last two decades. We'll just be focusing on our game and our strengths. It will be another week for us. That's been the key for us always looking to be better and build on each week. They boys are confident winning the last two knockout games heading into this match with momentum which is probably a big plus for us."

The coach said that momentum and belief were the biggest factors in them being able to knock off the league champions and go all the way.

"Park has beat us both times this season, both times have been quite close," he said.

"I feel last time we should have got something out of the game, but we failed to punish when we needed to. And they countered well and they finished their chances and it's not a surprise that they won the league quite comfortably because they have guys up front that can hurt you.

"From what I felt and what I believe the boys felt last time in the last game, since then we've been on this role and this momentum and looking to not feel what we felt that day and so to come up against them now, it's going to be massive.

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"It's also belief. It's belief and it's because of the adversity that the team's gone through this season. It's been a roller coaster for them and I've just seen them battle through and they've been tested and so it's the belief and we're building on that. Like I said, the momentum is a massive thing."

Pierro - a former club captain and longstanding Coniston legend - said to both him and the supporters, this time of the season was something extra special.

"I can't put it into words. Even at this point here, it's huge," Pierro added.

"But it's about the players and it's about the fans and the club really. It's not really about me. But if I can assist to help the club get to this final, it's great."

"It was a bit of a reality check last Sunday. We were very poor and we got punished and deservedly so," Fernhill coach Dale White said.

"So the biggest thing we talked about at training is redemption. We did finish top three to have that second crack and we're lucky enough we get a chance to play at the grand final.

"That was our poorest game of the year [against Shellharbour]. That wasn't what we're about. We have standards that we set for ourselves. We got the boys together at training on Tuesday night, we quickly had a chat about it and moved on. Like I said, we're after redemption this weekend and to show that's not us and we're a better football team than that.

"The boys walked off the pitch embarrassed and I walked off the pitch embarrassed. That's never a term I never use with my football teams. We clearly were second best at everything last weekend.

"But at training this week I've got to give credit to the lads. They turned up in numbers and training has been impeccable this week."

White added that their opponents Gerringong had been in sensational form of late but said his team would be up for the fight.

"It's a great story isn't it? Coming into the District league and what they've achieved is nothing short of incredible," he said.

"I'm not sure it's spoken about enough but they have all three grades still alive. Two in the semis and one in a grand final. It's a testament to everyone involved down there, especially the Boardmans. They're very good coaches, very good people and they've done an absolutely outstanding job.

"So we know the task ahead on Saturday. It's gonna be another game we've got to rise to because they have quality across the park. They're well drilled, we expect another battle.

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"They rely on Josh Hawker a bit for his goals but as the season has gone on a few other lads have popped up. They're strong in wide areas. They have an excellent defensive line. I watched the game [against Oak Flats] last week and Joel Lockard had an unbelievable game. He probably won them that game. So we've got to concentrate on Hawker but they have threats across the park.

"'Boardo' has them playing in a system that they all believe in and they're going to be incredibly tough to break down."

"They know what's on the line and there's a big opportunity for all three grades to be in a grand final come next week, so it's a driving factor for the club as well as the players," Gerringong coach Brad Boardman said.

"If you had have told me in April or May [that all three grades could play in the grand final] I probably would have hissed at it or laughed. But I'm a believer and we've built a solid foundation.

"We've come from the Community League where it's been quite a different vibe. There has been stellar performers every week in the District League where it's a different beast and the boys are growing belief in themselves that we deserve to be there. If anything they've shown over the last few weeks that when push comes to shove and the backs are against the wall, they're ready to go.

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"So hopefully come Saturday they'll channel that tenacity."

Boardman expected his opponents to come out firing following the 7-2 loss to Shellharbour.

"Shellharbour are a very quality side but it did shock me," he said.

"I was watching a few highlights of the game and it blew me away. Shellharbour were brutal. So hopefully we can look at that result and think we're capable of putting together a show like that as well and we'll need to because 'Whitey' [Dale White] will have them absolutely buzzing by Saturday. He would have given them a razz up at training this week."

The opportunity to play at WIN Stadium was another major factor as to why Boardman thought his team would be up for the Fernhill battle.

"That driving force for the boys that have never played at WIN Stadium before is a massive incentive for our lads," he added.

"I heard some of them saying in training that it was amazing that we are 90 or 120 minutes away from a grand final at WIN Stadium. There's no better feeling than that. I played there with Picton back in 2006 and it was an incredible feeling to walk out on that pitch.

"That will be a huge factor come Saturday."

The District League match will be held on Saturday at Wetherall Park with a 2:30pm kickoff whilst the IPL will be on Sunday, 2:30pm at Crehan Park.

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