Roshan stars in Kingswood victory

S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy Sports Corr.

A stellar performance by Kingswood College's vice captain and scrum half Roshan Weeraratne helped his school to score an emphatic 19 points (1 goal, 1 drop goal, 3 penalties) to 12 (1 goal, 1 try) win over St. Anthony's College, Kandy in their school Singer Shield Division one rugby tournament match played at Nittawela yesterday. At half Antonians led 7-3.

The Antonians could have pulled off this match if not for superlative performance by Roshan who contributed all the points for his side to spearhead them to victory, thus avenging their last year's defeat in the hands of the saints.

Roshan who was in the thick of everything did everything a player could not by way of scoring in the field.

He scored a try, goaled it, converted penalties and added the decorations by executing a drop goal in the final minute of play.

The Antonians have to blame themselves for this defeat, as they were guilty of individual play. They did not believe much on team work and their three quarters were starved of possession.

They were also guilty of 'killing the ball' and gave away penalties. It was the Kingswoodians who kept the scoreboard moving early in the game through a penalty knocked over by scrum half Roshan Weeraratne.

But the Antonians hit back to wrest the lead when centre Amila Bandara punted ahead and a Kingswood defender fumbled with the ball and scrum half Imad Reyal pounced on the loose ball to go over.

Full back Tharanga Bandara added the extra points. St. Anthony's 7-3. Tharanga Bandara failed to put over 35 metre shortly afterwards. In the third minute of the second half put over a 35 metre penalty to reduce the lead to 6-7.

Another Roshan penalty saw the Kingswoodians take over the lead 9-7. In the 31st minute of play Kingswood's forwards made a forceful drive deep into the Antonian territory and it was that man Roshan who scored off a ruck and added the extra points himself. Kingswood led 16-7 and were an course for victory. But the Antonians fought back in the very next minute with their back division moving the ball inside Kingswood 22.

A penalty awarded from Kingswood's goal line saw scrum half Imad Reyal taking the short lap and switching a pass to prop Sanka Rajaguru who went over. Full back Tharaka Bandara failed with a difficult kick at goal. St. Anthony's 12-16. The game was still open, and a try by the Antonians could turn the tables.

But once again some disjointed play prevented them from scoring.

With play drifting into the final minute, the Kingswoodians put the icing on their cake of victory when their forwards were pressing through some power play and when the ball came out of the ruck scrum half Roshan Weeraratne executed a drop goal to round off a fine performance. D. Nimal refereed.