Ratnam beat Saunders 2-1 to regain top position
Bernard PERERA
The replay of the Dialog Premier League Segment A - II game between
Ratnam Sports Club and Saunders Sports Club which concluded at CR & FC
ground under closed gates saw the Kotahena Club triumph two goals to
one.
The earlier game which was played on November 15 at the same venue
saw the game end abruptly due to a commotion that took place between the
supporters of both sides soon after the interval. Referee had no other
option but to call off the game. The tournament committee which met last
week decided to replay the game under closed gates.
Ratnam SC who were in top position in this group were pushed to
second spot last week and had to wait for yesterday’s result to regain
the first place ahead of Air Force which has a total of 16 points.
Ratnam’s collection of three points yesterday took their total to 18
points from seven games and are on course to reach the semis.
Yesterday it was Saunders SC who had the control for over 20 minutes.
They in fact were seen moving forward with good moves and defending well
making their opponent fight hard. The midfielders of Pettah Club did
their best to feed the strikers but poor finishing was the drawback for
their loss.
If the Saunders strikers did their job well at this early stage they
could have taken the upper hand in this game. They missed almost four
scoring opportunities which put them under real pressure. Ratnam SC
strikers too faultered during the first session after taking control of
the game during the half way mark in the first session. Kasun Jayasuriya
the highest goal getter last season and his partner E. B. Channa were
seen moving well towards their opponents territory regularly. But none
could find the net to put their side in front until the 34th minute.
It was a good ball that was sent to Kasun Jayasuriya from the left
wing by P. Sachintha Maduranga that got into the net through the boot of
Jayasuriya. Sachinta played a vital role from the left for Ratnam SC.
Play continued for eight more minutes with Saunders making a strong
come back. But it was once again Kasun Jayasuriya who extended the lead
2-0 in the 42nd minute.
Here it was P. M. M. Murshid who masterminded the move from the
right, sending another good ball for Kasun to strike for his side. The
lemons were taken with Ratnam leading 2-1.
After turnaround the Saunders SC players were seen as a revitalised
unit. They were in full control of the game, having most of the
possession. The Pettah boys never allowed the ball to come close to
their goal area with the mid-fielders doing a fine job to feed the
frontliners. But all their efforts were fruitless as the strikers failed
to find the correct aim.
Ratnam SC failed to put much pressure and were never seen going on
the attack. The few times they got closer to the opponents goal were
considered as off-sides by the referees. If these were not detected
Ratnam could have added more to their score. However just ten minutes
away from the final whistle D. S. Dharmapala moved from the right wing
and sent a neat pass to Tharanga Kumara who made no mistake with the
kick to reduce the lead 2-1.
Just two minutes of play left, Saunders missed a golden opportunity
to score and level the tally. If they had scored and draw yesterday’s
game, Ratnam could not have reached the top but would have stayed on
equal terms with Airmen with 16 points.
Referee M. K. Ranjith controlled the game well but had to pull the
yellow card twice to warn a player each from both sides. This weekend
Ratnam will face lowly placed Java Lane and is sure to add three more
points with a win here. |