Nandimithra breaches Solid defence
Nandimithra were made to labour endlessly against the aptly named Solid SC before eventually pouncing on a rare defensive lapse to register the fixture’s sole goal, which towed them to victory in their Dialog Champions League match, played at the St. Benedict’s College grounds yesterday.
Both teams were air-tight in their halves and, as the 1-0 score line suggests, the game was equally tight. The breakthrough came in the 25th minute after a sustained spell of offensive enterprise by Nandimithra.
A Nandimithra (blue) player clears the ball. Pic by Susantha Liyanawatte
A cross was floated dangerously toward the edge of Solid’s penalty box, prompting Nuwan Priyankara to go tearing after it. Solid’s goalkeeper, K. Hettiarachchi, did not go at the ball with similar conviction, allowing Priyankara to gather it and pelt it into the back of the net.
Following this goal, thick defensive walls were erected by both teams and play was largely restricted to the middle of the field, where both sides’ players were unable to create a moment of inspiration.
The war for possession was also stuck in a stalemate, although toward the end of the first half Solid had a few good runs deep into Nandimithra’s ranks but failed to really threaten goalie Pradeep Prasanna.
Stepping out for the second half, Nandimithra looked the more likely of the two teams to break the deadlock but their strikers were too wasteful with possession, over-dribbling on most occasions while over-passing on others.
With a goal looking unlikely, play gradually took a more physical turn, with a few errant elbows and rash tackles being thrown near the center of the field. Nevertheless, Nandimithra nearly added to their scoring tally on the brink of full time due to a miscommunication in Solid’s defense. And though Solid escaped embarrassment when the ball was lifted far over the bar, they could not dodge defeat as referee Lakmal Weerakkody announced the game’s denouement a few minutes later.