Army edge out CR and FC by 21-18
By Sajeewa Jayakody
Army Sports Club staged a spirited fight back in the second half to
edge out CR and FC by 21 points (one goal, one try, three penalties) to
18 (one goal, one try, two penalties) in their Dialog ‘A’ Division
League rugby match played at Longden Place yesterday after trailing
13-15 at the ‘breather’.
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CR and FC prop forward Shane Sambandaperuma is about to
score his team’s first try with an Army defender making a
vain attempt to foil him. Pic by Susantha Wijegunasekara |
It was the soldiers who opened scoring in the fourth minute, when
full back Gayan Salinda put over a 40-metre penalty.
The Red Shirts grabbed lead in the 17th minute, when off a forward
rush prop forward Shane Sambandaperuma fell over for an unconverted try.
Seven minutes later, CR and FC extended their lead when winger Nalin
Kumara fired across 15-metre penalty and the score read 8-3.
In the 26th minute, Army’s full back Gayan Salinda put over a
40-metre penalty.
In the 36th minute, the Soldiers snatched the lead when winger
Kavindu Perera put the finishing touches off a three-quarter move by
scoring by the corner flag and Gayan Salinda added the extra points with
a fine kick and Army led 13-8.
On the stroke of half time, CR and FC’s surged into the lead when
centre Billy Ropiha scored under the posts to give Nalin Kumara an easy
kick at goal and the score read 15-13 at ‘lemons’.
The Red Shirts went ahead further when Nalin Kumara made no mistake
with a 20-metre penalty and CR led 18-13.
CR missed at least two more scoring opportunities due to poor ball
handling.
Added to their woes, place kicker Nalin Kumara missed a 40-metre
penalty in front of the posts.
Army played with more determination in the last 20 minute of the
second half reduced the deficit when full back Gayan Salinda in the 26th
minute when Gayan Salinda made no mistake with a 20-metre penalty and
the score read 18-16 in favour of the Red Shirts.
In the 29th minute, Army scored the match winning try when off a
rolling maul. Mohamed Akram touched down mid-right but Gayan Salinda
missed the conversion. The Red Shirts made several inroads into Army
territory but could not breach the rock hard Army defence and the
Soldiers ran out winners by 21-18.
Referee: Dinka Peiris |
