Kandy win after second half bog-down

The high-riding Kandy Sports Club beat Navy Sports Club by 19 points to 8 in their Dialog inter-club premier league rugby match played at Welisara yesterday.

The winners collected their points from two goals and a try while Navy SC managed to score only a try and a penalty.

The defending Dialog League champions Kandy SC led 19-3 at half time, assuring the league crown to the hill capital side.

Nevertheless, Kandy did not have things to their liking in the second half after they had scored three tries before the short whistle of referee Dinka Perera.

Nigel Ratwatte, Roshan Perera and Srinath Suriyabandara scored a try each for the winners. Ratwatte converted two of those as Kandy SC did well to collect 18 points in the first half.

The entire first half of the game was played under heavy rain and Navy SC managed to score only three points through a penalty put over by T. Weerasinghe.

But the home team fought back after lemons and did not allow the visitors to score a single point in the second half.

Navy SC accounted for the solitary try scored in the second half as Dinesh Lakmal breached Kandy's defence for an unconverted try. They handled the wet ball well and prevented Kandy SC from making their usual speedy three-quarter moves.

Kandy SC are down to play Havelocks on Sunday and irrespective of the outcome of this game, Kandy SC will retain the league title as they have taken a commanding lead in the points table after the penultimate week's matches.

- D.W.