Air Force storm into semis with last minute try

A last minute try by Air Force centre Radhika Hettiarachchi which was converted by himself enabled Air Force to enter the semi-finals of the Caltex Clifford Cup knock-out rugby tournament with a thrilling 27 points (two goals, two tries, one penalty) to 25 (two goals, one try, two penalties) win over CR and FC in the quarter-final played at Royal Sports Complex yesterday after leading 13-6 at the breather.

After Radhika Hettiarachchi had missed a 40 metre penalty in the dying stages of the match the game went into injury time with CR and FC leading 25-20. Then in the last minute of play the ball came out Air Force’s way off a maul in the CR ‘25’ and they set their three quarters in motion and centre Radhika Hettiarachchi found the gap to crash through for a try under the posts and added the extra points himself to give Air Force a 27-25 win much to the delight of their supporters.

The Airmen opened scoring in the 5th minute when off a 10 metre line out lock forward Shenal Dias scored a push over try with Charith Seneviratne missing the conversion. Four minutes later CR and FC reduced the deficit when Mohamed Sheriff put over a 20-metre penalty. In the 21st minute the Airmen increased the lead when Radhika Hettiarachchi fired across a 25-metre penalty.

Six minutes later the Red Shirts reduced the deficit when Mohamed Sheriff made no mistake with a 20-metre penalty.

Just before the breather Air Force No 8 Sasanka Ariyaratne smothered a clearance kick by Mohamed Sheriff and picked up the ball to fall over for an unconverted try mid left and Air Force led 13-6 at ‘lemons’. In the second minute after resumption CR and FC won a five metre line out and skipper Dushanth Lewke scored a push over try. Sheriff missed the conversion. (Air Force 13-11).

Five minutes later CR and FC snatched the lead when off a forwards rush flanker Sharo Fernando scored under the posts to give Mohamed Sheriff an easy kick at goal (CR 18-13).

In the 22nd minute the Airmen grabbed the lead once again when off a second phase move in the CR ‘25’ fly half Gayan Iddamalgoda breached the CR defence to score under the posts and Radhika Hettiarachchi added the extra points (Air Force 20-18).

Two minutes later CR won a scrum in the Air Force ‘25’ and CR scrum half Josephian schoolboy Piyum Jayasinghe dummied and side-stepped his way past several Air Force defenders for over 20 metres to fall over under the posts for a spectacular try and Mohamed Sheriff converted for CR and FC to lead 25-20.

After Radhika Hettiarachchi missed a 40-metre penalty the game went into injury time before the last minute try by Radhika Hettiarachchi which he himself converted to give Air Force a sensational 27-25 win and will now meet Kandy SC in the first semi-final on September 10 (Saturday) at Bogambara.

Referee: ASP Nizam Jamaldeen.