Saunders scrape through to quarters

BY BERNANRD Perera

THE Premier League Champion from Pettah Saunders SC scraped through to the quarter finals of the FA Cup soccer championships when they outplayed police SC in a penalty shoot out at Shalika ground on Wednesday.

A last minute goal by Saunders to level the score three all at this final. Referee M.H. Ranjith offered the penalty shoot but this too failed to bring in a result and continued the kicking further.

Saunders slammed the sixth while the kicker failed with his kick, thus giving a thrilling victory for Saunders. This happened to be the most thrilling encounter so far in the ongoing FA Cup championships.

Sri Lanka Navy SC became the first team to qualify for the quarter finals of the FA Cup Soccer championships. When they defeated the champion of champions Blue Star SC From Kalutara at Police Park, last Saturday by three goals to one.

M.S.A. Weerasinghe and R.M.J.D. Ratnayake scored for winners in the 11th and 16th minute respectively. M.S.M. Safran reduced the lead in the 20th minute and the teams returned for lemons with Navy leading 2-1.

In the 78th Minute N.M. Naleem scored the third goal for Navy to seal victory and ousted the favourites from this tourney.

In a another game on Monday Army defeated Jupiter SC from Negombo four goals to one to make their way to the quarter final.

Runners up in the Premier League Ratnam SC had a comfortable victory over Maya SC Kegalle on Tuesday. Ratnam too booked their berth in the quarter with this 4-1 victory.