Havies pip Sailors in the nick of time
Excitement was at its best at Havelock Park - Pic by Amila Gamage
Navy SC should blame themselves for failing at a crucial try and at a vital moment as Havelocks SC scraped through with a nail-biting 16-11 win in the second round game of Dialog League Rugby Championship at Havelock Park yesterday.
The game was tied at 11-all with only ten minutes left from the final whistle, and Havelocks made the best possible moves to capitalise with a crucial and important try off hooker Prasad Madushanka which took their tally to 16. The Sailors did an exact move in the final minute, and a touchdown and a kick was all they needed to pull off a stunner. But instead the ball was knocked on by its carriers only to hear the final whistle and a rejoiced Havies side, who were down to 13 men at one stage.
However, to term the Havies did a load of tasks than they usually do to earn a low-scoring victory could be reasonable, as they led 8-5 at halftime. The hosts scored from two unconverted tries and two penalties while the Sailors responded with one less try from their opponent’s final tally.
Havies opened scoring in the 10th minute off a penalty from fullback Riza Mubarak, who kicked a second penalty in the 48th minute, after the halftime. Navy took the lead for the only time by 5-3 in the 26th minute when Navy fullback Thilina Weerasinghe touched down but failed with the conversion. Weerasinghe was eventually responsible for all the points that Navy scored through the whole game. He put over a couple of penalties in the second half, in the 52nd and 69th minutes.
Nishon Perera was responsible for Havies’ first try which came in the 33rd minute and the crucial and second was from Madushanka, which ended the 11-all deadlock. Three players from Havelocks, Sithum Peiris, Niroshan Fernando, Senal Deelaka and Navy centre Buddhima Priyaratne, received yellow cards.
Referee Priyantha Gunaratne.