Football: Army and Saunders qualify for FA Cup semis

Defending champions Sri Lanka Army SC and Saunders SC qualified for the semi-finals of Cargills FA Cup Football Tournament after their respective wins in their quarter-final games played at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo today (6). 

In the first quarter-final the Soldiers thrashed Super Sun SC Beruwala by a huge margin of 12-1 while Saunders overcame Blue Star SC Kalutara by 2-1 in the second qualifier.

At the first half of the first game Army led 4-0 as striker M.T. Chandrasekara booted five goals including a quick hat trick. 

He struck goals in the 60th, 73rd, 76th, 78th and 89th minutes while Mohamed Issadeen also claimed a hat-trick by striking goals in the 18th, 37th and 46th minutes. 

M.S.M Rimzana scored twice in the 30th and 57th minutes while Sajith Kumara and D.M. de Silva netted a goal each in the 29th and 87th minutes for Army. 

Super Sun's solitary goal came through the boots of Kaiz M. Shafran who saved the face of his club with a neat kick in the 90th minute.

In the second game played under lights, Blue Star led the halftime 1-0 after E.B Channa struck for the Kalutara club. 

But the glamour boys, Saunders retaliated by scoring twice in the second half through Krishantha Abesekara in the 75th minute and Lakmal Fernando in the 85th minute.

The remaining two quarter-finals will be played on Sunday (7) at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo when Sri Lanka Air Force take on the strong Colombo FC at 5.00pm followed by the final qualifier between Renown SC and Java Lane SC at 7.30pm.