Havies regain lost momentum
Havies touched down six times - Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Havelock Sports Club finally regained their lost momentum with a morale-boosting, runaway 42-11 victory over the struggling Sri Lions Sports Club in their second week clash of the SLR-Maliban Inter-club Rugby League Tournament at Havelock Park yesterday. The Havies, who came under fire after their disappointing opening-week defeat, produced a clinical and composed display, running in six tries and converting all of them to signal that they are very much back in business.
Experienced flyhalf Samuel Maduwantha was the heartbeat of the Park Club’s revival. He delivered a masterclass in pressure handling, game control and goal-kicking, slotting all six conversions with ice-cool precision. His flawless performance was the glue that held the Havies together as they turned a tight first half into a second-half procession.
The match began with drama when Havelocks’ overseas flanker Ihaea Edwards was sent to the sin bin in the eighth minute. Playing one man short, the Havies were immediately put on the back foot, and the Sri Lions pounced on the opportunity. Their burly lock Denuwan Silva barged through mid-left to score the opening try in the 13th minute, handing his team a rare, early lead of 5-0.
But the Havies, true to their fighting spirit, clawed their way back. Prop Shehan Silva powered over the line in the 16th minute, and Maduwantha added the extras to flip the scoreboard 7-5. Sri Lions briefly regained the lead through a penalty in the 21st minute, making it 8-7, but that was the last time they were in front.
Havelocks’ powerful centre Janidu Wijeratne carved through the Sri Lions’ defensive in the 36th minute, touching down in the left corner. Once again, Maduwantha’s reliable boot did the rest, stretching the Havies’ lead to 14-8 at halftime. With that, the home side went into the break breathing a little easier.
After the turnaround, Havelocks shifted gears and took control of the match. Replacement prop Charana Senadanyake crashed over near the posts in the 56th minute to extend the lead to 21-8. Though
Sri Lions flyhalf Nadun Gunasekara landed a smart drop goal to reduce the gap to 21-11, it was only a brief spark in an otherwise difficult evening for them.
From there, the Havies opened the floodgates. No.8 Chathura Dilshan scored off a driving maul in the 68th minute for the bonus-point try, pushing the score to 28-11. Speedster Jayathu Rajaratne then produced a dazzling late double, scoring in the 72nd and 78th minutes, both superbly converted by the flawless Maduwantha, who finished the night six-out-of-six.
By the time referee Jeewaka Fonseka final whistle, the Havies had turned the contest into a one-sided affair, storming home 42-11 to secure their first victory of the season and send a strong message that they are back on track.