Kandy won but lacked usual flamboyance
Kandy SC won, but not as they liked. Credit for that must go to the Air Force’s battling set of forwards who made the champions really sweat for their points. The final tally was 28 (4 goals) to 19 (2 goals and a try) at an, at times, solemn Air Force grounds. At the break Kandy led 14-7.
Kandy skipper Richard Dharmapala goes airborne to touch down - Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
For much of the game it was measure for measure as Kandy scored first and Air Force duly followed. The pattern was repeated and early in the second half, the scores were tied at 14-all. At which point, the Airmen’s effort tended to lose a bit of steam, Kandy sensed that and applied more pressure. This enabled them to add two more goals.
As early as the second minute, Kandy produced one of their trade-mark back division moves. Substitute scrum half, Heshan Jansen sent skipper Richard Dharmapala on his way. The move ended with winger Vishwamitra Jayasinghe going over deep right. Thilina Wijesinghe, who had his kicking boots on, made light of the conversion.
Soorya Krishan broke through in the centre and headed for the line. He overcame one or two half- hearted tackles and ended up under the posts. Gayantha Iddamalgoda, who had a fine game overall, knocked over the conversion.
The Air Force rattled Kandy into error. In consequence, the champions’ ball handling was not at its best. Air Force kept play with the forwards, and in midfield, for a considerable time in the initial half. Kandy were not permitted to indulge in their free-flowing game. It could be said that they were sucked into Air Force’s game plan. Dharmapala went over in the 38th minute, when he picked up the ball in front of the posts, and was over in a flash. Wijesinghe converted to make it 14-7.
The home team came back strongly early in the second half. There was a goal line melee, and their Fijian Number 8 Raduwa Kausoo was able to scramble over the line. Iddamalgoda kicked right and the score was tied at 14-all.
Kandy then spent some time in Air Force’s 22. This situation was fraught with danger for the home team, as Kandy are difficult to contain at close quarters. Dhanushka Ranjan, who had had a quiet game up to that point, latched on to a pass and dived over in classic style. Wijesinghe obliged for the third time. (21-14).
The Airmen now put some prolonged pressure on the Kandy goal line. A hasty pass to full back Wijesinghe in the in goal area, was knocked forward. Off the ensuing run of play, flanker Abishek Fernando touched down. However Iddamalgoda failed with the conversion.
In the 65th minute, scrum half Roshan Weeraratne, who had come on in the second half, deceived two Airmen with a dummy. Thereafter, it was plain sailing for Weeraratne.
There wasn’t a lot of difference between the teams. But there was no real excitement as the match drew to an end. It was getting darker by the minute and, in a sense, there was relief all round when referee Dinka Pieris blew no side.