Kandy SC move to the top with a runaway 71-5 win over CH and FC

by Sajeewa Jayakody

Former Champions Kandy Sports Club moved to the top of the Dialog ‘A’ Division League Rugby points table with a smashing 71 points (eight goals, three tries) to 5 (one try) win over the lowly placed CH and FC in their final first round game played at the CH and FC grounds, Colombo 7 yesterday after leading 38-0 at half time.

Kandy SC fly half Arshad Jamaldeen scoring his first try with a CH and FC player making a vain attempt to foil him. An incident in yesterday’s Dialog ‘A’ Division League rugby match played at Maitland Crescent with Kandy SC won 71-5.

The lads from Kandy who were lying second in the points table with 34 points, earned five points for the victory and a bonus point for scoring more than four tries and are now on top with 40 points, one point above defending champions Navy Sports Club (39 points).

Kandy SC opened scoring through a try by full back Tharindu Chanaka in the fifth minute with fly half Arshad Jamaldeen adding the extra points. Five minutes later, Fly half Arshard Jamaldeen scored by the corner flag and converted it himself to make 14-0.

Eight minutes later, centre Lavanga Perera scored by the right corner flag. Jamaldeen made no mistake with the conversion. In the 22nd minute,

Kenyan Oscar Ouma made a break and slung out of pass to Danushka Dayan fell over for an unconverted try by the corner flag and the score read 26-0.

Four minutes later, veteran Pradeep Liyanage touched down by the left corner flag with Jamaldeen missing the conversion.

On the stroke of half time, Kenyan Oscar Ouma scored near the post to give Jamaldeen an easy kick at goal and Kandy SC led 38-0 at ‘lemons’. In the eighth minute after resumption, the CH and FC scored their solitary try through skipper Radeesha Seneviratne with the conversion going astray.

Two minutes later, Kandy SC’s Koto Pongi scored near the posts with Jamaldeen adding the extra points. In the 18th minute, Kandy SC full back Tharindu Chanaka put the finishing touches to a three-quarter move by scoring near the posts with Jamaldeen making no mistake with the conversion to make it 52-5.

In the 27th minute, Kandy SC’s Oscar Ouma scored again with Jamaldeen adding the extra points and the score read 59-5.

Five minutes later, Kandy SC’s lock forward Gayan Ratnayake scored near the right corner flag with Jamaldeen converting it to make it 66-5.

Just before the final whistle fly half Arshard Jamaldeen who had a grand game, scored by the right corner flag but failed to add the extra points and Kandy SC ran out winners by 71-5 with Jamaldeen having a personal tally of 26 points.