Sri Lanka fail to book a place in the final

S. M. Jiffrey Abdeen-Kandy Sports Correspondent in Nawalapitiya

Sri Lanka held Pakistan to a thrilling scoreless draw but failed to quality for the finals of the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Football Tournament 2012 organized by the Sports Ministry and Football Federation of Sri Lanka and played at the Jayatillake Sports complex Nawalapitiya yesterday.

Sri Lanka failed to quality for the finals mainly due to the fact that they lost their opening match to Maldive Island 0-3 Pakistan in tern lost to Maldive Island 0-1 and by Virtue of better goal aggregate qualified to the finals. On Sunday Maldive Islands will meet Pakistan in the finals.

The Sri Lankan put up a gallant performance yesterday and they did not allow the strong Pakistan team any liberties.

The first half was evenly contested and both teams had their opportunities of scoring towards the Pakistanis almost scored but Sri Lanka's goal keeper Sujan Perera advanced and Pakistan's Hammed Khan could not target his kick. Point-wise Sri Lanka Pakistan and Bangladesh with one win each had equal number of points but it was on a better goal aggregate that Pakistan were through to the finals.

C. R. Sri Krishna refereed Bangladesh perhaps created the biggest upset of the tournament when they beat the favorites Maldive Island 1-0 in a thriller. At half time Bangladesh led 1-0.

Maldive Island perhaps paid the price for being complacent.

Bangladesh scored their warning goal in the 31st minute of first of the boots of centre forward Alam Thowheed.

Dilan Perera refereed