Fazal’s header gives Renown win over Blue Star
After collapsing in the battle for possession throughout most of the match, Renown made maximum use of the one clear-cut chance which came their way, with Mohamed Fazal heading home from a corner to give his team a 1-0 win over Blue Star, during their Dialog Champions League quarter-final played at Longden Place yesterday.
Blue Star enjoyed almost complete dominance over a Renown team which often struggled to formulate any sensible offensive strategy. Blue Star had a string of good scoring looks but were unable to adorn their playmaking creativity with equally spectacular execution.
Daniel from Blue Star (white) dazzled in attack but could not produce a breakthrough for his team. Pic by Indika Handuwala
As the game wore on, and several Blue Star half-chances went to waste, the tempers of the large crowd began to fray. Renown and Blue Star are known to be bitter adversaries and every ounce of this animosity reared its ugly head as supporters exchanged punches right before their teams headed into halftime with proceedings still scoreless.
The second half followed a similar script to the half which preceded it, as Blue Star launched waves of attack at Renown’s goal only for their keeper Lorence Prince to calmly vanquish weak or wild shots.
The boys from Blue Star looked particularly threatening when their skillful striker Daniel had the ball glued to his feet. Weaving gracefully through Renown’s central defence, Daniel was unlucky on several occasions not to find the back of the net.
Then in the 73rd minute, against the run of play, Renown floated in a dangerous kick from the corner. It dangled tantalisingly out of Blue Star goalie Kumara Fernando’s reach, before connecting with Fazal’s head and flying between the posts.
Fazal stood in front of Blue Star’s spectators and put his index finger to his mouth. He needn’t have wasted the energy. They, like their team’s hopes of victory, had fallen deathly silent the moment the ball flew into the goal.