The combined brilliance of fly half Fazil Marija and full back Saliya Kumara ensured that the champion Kandy SC team retained the Clifford Cup at the expense of a fighting CR&FC side by 10 points (1 goal, 1 penalty) to six (2 penalties) at Nittawela yesterday.
 |
A Kandy SC player with the ball is about to hand-off a CR defender during yesterday’s knock-out final.
( Pic by Sanka Vidanagama) |
In the 25th minute of the initial half, Marija gave the not-too-full crowd what they yearned for. Mubarak’s defensive clearance didn’t find touch and Saliya Kumara seized on the chance and sent a long pass to Marija, who weaved his way through, at first, and then ran around the rest of the defense on quick-silver feet to cut in and score under the posts. Kumara made the conversion, and with his earlier penalty half time was taken at 10-nil to Kandy SC.
After an initial bout of sparring, Kandy SC showed they meant business, running at the CR defence in a few threatening moves. CR could never make headway with orthodox back division moves and relied on a few breakaways to threaten their opponents.
The skies were grey and somber to begin with and the game in this half seemed to match them. A five minute shower heralded the second half and CR seemed to use the conditions underfoot better.
Mubarak who had a fine game was cool and efficient in his collection. He once opened up the Kandy defense with a slicing thirty five yard run. But all this was brought to naught when he passed the ball under pressure.
Two Mubarak penalties made it 10-6 half way through the second half and CR sensed their glory and effort but Kandy defended their line jealously and stubbornly. A kick-ahead by CR brought play inside Kandy’s 25 and the situation was fraught with danger. However the nippy Kandy threes got to the ball in time.
Thus CR failed to put it past Kandy even at the third time of asking. Kandy’s triple triumph – sevens, league and knock out merely serves to confirm their already widely accepted supremacy.
What can CR do about their nemesis? The most realistic move would be to somehow lure Kandy’s twin menace away from the hilly environs!.
Referee Pradeep
Fernando |
E-mail