Lucky Pathana survive torrid Zahira attacks
Isipathana could not dish out their usual style against Zahira - Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarahchi
It was expected to be a mis-match. Pre-match predictions were about a 40 point total. But unfancied, unhonoured and unsung, a Zahira fifteen that had loads of courage and determination in the face of great odds, went under to Isipathana by 17 points (2 goals, a penalty) to 3 (a penalty) at Havelock Park yesterday.
The scoreboard doesn’t tell the real story. The winners took the lead in the 20th minute when scrum half C.T. Kalhara sent a longish pass to winger Nedeesh Chaminda who burst through on the short side and touched down. Winger Salam converted a penalty to make it 7-3 at the break.
Pathana extended theirlead to 13-3 courtesy another penalty slotted over by Manilka Ruberu. From then on, Isipathana huffed and puffed as they were repelled by the marauding Zahirians. Full credit is due to the players from Maradana who tackled the Pathana leading lights to a standstill. All the while Zahira had not forgotten to attack.
They enjoyed a lot of possession – territorially, they had the better of Pathana, especially in the first half. For fifteen minutes they engaged the Isipathana lads in furious exchanges. Try as they might, Zahira just could not penetrate the tough, unyielding defence of Isipathana.
At 7-3 Zahira had a whiff of a chance. Even at 10-3, they were very much in the game. For around 68 minutes it looked as though the scoreline will remain unchanged. Then it happened. A loose ball and a long pass to winger M.L. Riyaz saw him run around the sparse defence to his left, and score. Ruberu kicked correct once more to make it 17-3. It was a scoreline that exaggerated the efforts of the winners and diminished those of the losers. Zahira did not deserve to lose by that margin.
The Green Machine stuttered and stumbled from one lapse to another. The ferocity of the loser’s approach was such that even an experienced and skillful player such as Ruberu could do precious little in attack.
It was not that Isipathana did not try. They were not given any room to do so. The Zahirians must be rueing the couple of occasions they were on the line or thereabouts, and couldn’t go over. In a five yard scrum, they infringed and were promptly driven back.
Ironically, Ramitha de Silva who gave the vital pass to Riyaz to score the clinching try, had a moment earlier engaged in a brief, slightly heated exchange with a Zahirian. That would have made him more determined to punish the losers.
Referee – Dinka Pieris