Kandy crush Air Force - 65/8
 

BY S. M. JIFFREY Abdeen - Kandy Sports Corr.

CALTEX League Champions Kandy Sports Club entered the semi-finals of Clifford Cup knock-out rugby when they beat Sri Lanka Air Force by 65 points (5 goals, 6 tries) to 8 (1 try, 1 drop goal) in the quarter-finals played at Nittawela yesterday. At half time Kandy led 37-3.

Though Kandy SC won by a big margin, they did not put much effort as they rested some of the key players, as they required only a win to qualify for the next stage of this championship which they have won six years in a row and 12 times since 1992.

The Airmen were no match for the defending Clifford Cup champions Kandy SC who out played their opponents in every department.

But surprisingly it was the Airmen who kept the scoreboard moving with the game being barely four minutes old when their stand off A. Bandara caught the Kandy defence napping and executed a fine drop goal from 35 metres.

After this initial setback Kandy SC asserted themselves to play some good rugby to which the losers had no chance. Highlights of the match was fine try by Skipper Sanjeewa Jayasinghe who ran 50 metres to touch down under the post for Kandy.

Try scorers for Kandy were full back Sameera Silva (2), winger Sanjeewa Jayasinghe (2), winger Chamara Withanage (2), Pradeep Liyanage (1), centre Sajith Mallikarachchi (1), hooker Malith Hettiarachchi (1), No. 8 Imran Bisthamin (1).

Full back Sameera Silva grabbed one try while stand off Nilufer Ibrahim added the extra points to four tries. For Air Force stand off A.

Bandara executed the drop goal while the solitary try was scored by centre Pushpakumara Samanhewa.

Nizam Jamaldeen refereed.