After an end to end clash the FA Cup 5th round match ended when Kirulapone United defeated favorites Ratnam SC 5-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in regular time.
Both defenses held firm throughout the 90 minutes with resilient last ditch defending and steady back lines throughout the game which made life hard for both offenses.
In a physically demanding game Kirulapone United in their yellow strip drew first blood on the 27th with a pile driver from the edge of the box by G.Suren after the initial effort on goal was saved by the Ratnam goalkeeper.
Photo Album – Ratnam SC v Kirulapone United – FA Cup 2016
Kirulapone kept up the tempo and Ratnam SC was limited to attacking on the counter for the best part of the first half.
Ratnam got their chance finally after a comical error by the Kirulapone defender Hajirin Samath who headed the ball past his own keeper into the back of the net in the 35th minute.
As the half drew to a close it was fair to conclude that it was a dull half of football with a few moments of attacking brilliance and senseless defending.
Both teams were quickly off the blocks during the second half as they were both seeking for a winner. Defensive lines held firm as chances were gradually reducing as the half progressed.
Kirulapone looked the most favorite to score as their dynamic forward Shalik Khan produced a few moments of magic yet failed to produce the end result as the Ratnam lads cleared their lines.
Second half SLTB goals steals the win from Great Star
On the flip side Ratnam were limited to a fair share of long range efforts in which they failed to convert any.
As the last few minutes of the game drew to a close both teams were preparing themselves for a shootout as they kept on clearing lines with few men pushed up front.
As the allotted 90 minutes came to an end the teams were requested to name their spot kick takers by the officials. T. Clarence, G.Suren, Ruween Madusanka, Kelvin Kenu and Shiyam Brantha were put forward for Kirulapone United as Ratnam named S.B.Aravind, Mohomed Amril, Mohomed Anan, Abdul Carder and Sachintha Maduranga.
It was even-stevens in the shootout until Sachintha Maduranga blasted his shot right at the Kirulapone goalkeeper which he tipped over the bar to give the Kirulapone lads the advantage.
Shiyam Brantha stepped up to take the penultimate kick for Kirulapone failing which Ratnam SC stood a chance to come back into the game. However, the Kirulapone bloke left no room for error as he placed the ball home to send his side through to the next round leaving Ratnam in heartbreak.
Eventually the team with the best temperament prevailed as the game entered the crunch phase in a game which was dominated by both defenses.
The stand out man of the game was Kirulapone United’s right back Pradeep Dinesh, with his consistent defensive work and relentless offensive charges on the right side which helped the Kirulapone command the right side of field throughout the match.
ThePapare.com Man of the Match: Pradeep Dinesh
Other Results
Group B
2nd Round
Eastern Eagle SC 3 – 0 Rangers SC (Muthur)
3rd Round
Bombers SC (Vadamaarachchi) 5 – 1 Ariyal United SC (Jaffna)
4th Round
Hilary SC (Mannar) 2 – 0 St.Anthony’s SC (Mannar)
Group C
3rd Round
Brave Hearts SC 1 – 0 Eleven Star SC
4th Round
Kekirawa United 0 – 0 (6 – 4) Gold Fish SC
5th Round
Brilliant SC 3 – 1 Olympic SC (Ampara)
Group D
2nd Round
Golden Wing 2 – 0 Sisu SC
Manchester SC 1 – 0 Jolly Boys SC
