CR snatch victory from jaws of defeat
CR's Janindu Dilshan touches down to score the final try of the game - Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
CR&FC snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to sink Navy 23-19 in a thrilling second round Dialog Club Rugby League Championship clash at Welisara yesterday.
Trailing for almost the entire match, the CR three quarters injected by the return of full back Riza Mubarak scored twice within the space of nine minutes with flanker Wajid Fawmy forming the overlap to score a superb corner flag try in the seventh minute of added time.
Navy were in command at the interval enjoying a 14-8 advantage after scoring two tries which were converted while CR replied with an unconverted try and converted a penalty.
The sailors came on firing all cylinders in the final minute of the match but CR survived the onslaught to win a close encounter for the second successive week against the gallant sailors who had a sniff of victory leading 19-18 before the ‘red shirts’ scored the match-winning try.
Navy missed a penalty early in the game but winger Chathura Seneviratne burst through on the right flank from midfield in a superb counter attack after picking up a loose ball. Fly half Isuru Kongahawatte made no mistake with the conversion.
Seneviratne nearly scored again after a kick-and-chase but stumbled after picking up the ball with the line in sight.
Nonetheless, Navy asserted their dominance when prop Deshan Vimukthi crashed over the line after a phased out attack in the 20th minute with Kongahawatte adding the extra points despite having flanker Gihan Perera in the sin bin.
CR regained a foothold in the game with a sweeping three quarter move in the second quarter but Janidu Dilshan fumbled with the ball after crossing the line. However, they did not go back without scoring. Skipper Omalka Gunaratne who came off the bench, took a quick penalty tap to dart across and score under the posts almost unchallenged. But Reeza Raffaideen fluffed the conversion as CR closed the gap 8-14 on the stroke of half time.
It became 11-14 when Murshid Zubair who had an outstanding game with his line kicking, converted a penalty early in the second half. CR pitched came in the Navy half after a superb touch kick by Zubair but lost the advantage after skipper Gunaratne got engaged in a bout of fury.
Navy capitalized with Raveen de Silva scoring an unconverted try to enjoy a 19-11 cushion.
CR unleashed their three quarters in the final quarter to make use of the good ball and were finally rewarded with a superb try by Janidu Dilshan who breezed round to scored under the posts in the 69th minute. Mubarak converted but they were agonizingly trailing by a point 18-19 before Fawmy put the finishing touches to another sweeping three quarter move for an unconverted try.
Referee: Aaqil Jamaldeen