Many times crowned champions Kandy SC wound up their league season with 26 points (3 goals, 1 try) to 16 (1 goal, 3 penalties) win over closest challengers the CR and FC at Nittawela last evening.
The match certainly lacked the intensity and drama of a Kandy-CR clash. It was a battle of consequence and there was a curtain end-of-term feeling to CR’s play at times.
After Mubarak had missed an early, easy penalty, Liyanage got the ball off a short tap and transferred to Jayasinghe who didn’t exert himself much to score. Saliya Kumara added the extra points. Mubarak came good with two penalties (7/6).
Weeraratne made a brilliant break down the middle but CR somehow nullified his effort.
The CR were made to pay on two occasions, either side of the break, for not being present in numbers when the marauding Kandy players were well inside their twenty two and scenting blood. Swarnatilleke touched down on the first occasion and Senaka Bandara on the second. In between, Sameera Silva touched down after Manoj had made a break. This went unconverted. Zulki Hameed, who entered the field in the second half, played his heart out, being in the thick of things always. It was fitting that he scored CR’s solitary try by taking a short tap and overcoming Kandy’s goal line resistance.Marija, Weeraratne and Saliya Kumnara in particular, were an ever-present danger with their sizzling runs.CR’s three quarters were poor by comparison and one hardly saw the ball being passes down the line by the visitors.
Kandy, though winning the league, will have a tinge of sadness that this year they were not invincible.
Referee - James Fitzgerald (Dubai). |
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