St.Peter’s College dominated proceedings in their final group stage match for this season against St.Benedict’s College, winning 5 goals to nil in the Kotmale Chox Schools U19 Football Championship.
This match was vital for S.Peter’s, leading up to their traditional big match next week. Peterites having a star studded side with five players who are representing the national U19 side. They dominated all their group stage matches which they won comprehensively. Bens on the other hand having lost to Dharmaraja College was under a bit pressure due to the injury issues they’ve being having right throughout the season. Their skipper, Minol Shehan suffering from injury left his team a daunting task ahead.
Photo Album – S.Peter’s College V S.Benedict’s College – Schools Football 2015
The home side looked threatening from the onset as they did not let their opponents get hold of possession. Sundarajha Niresh together with skipper Angelo Perera made early in roads to the game. Peterites looked confident and organized; it almost looked as if they were toying with the visitors. St Peter’s drew first blood in the 14th minute, Lasith Jayasinghe sending the ball cross from the right side towards the box which found Afam Akram who bludgeoned the ball into the netting.
Peterites didn’t hold back, kept probing at the Bens defense. It didn’t take much time for them strike for the second time. This time it was Shabeer Rasooniya who crossed the ball towards the box which was controlled nicely by Johan Wickramasinghe. Johan went past one defender and shot the ball to the far post giving no chance to the goalkeeper to cover the ground. 
Sunderajha Niresh joined the party. Showing his power and accuracy, he struck the ball from outside the box to the right corner of the netting. The home side was cruising at this stage, leaving the visitors in misery. Adding more misery to the Bens camp, Afam Akram scored his second goal of the match just few minutes before half time. Sunderajha Niresh sending a brilliant through ball passing the defense line, Afam running from left side and scoring an easy goal to put his team 4-nil up in the game.
Second half was almost a repeat of the first half regarding ball possession. St Benedict’s looked clueless as to what they should do to make an impact in the game. Peterites had a tight grip on the game from the starting whistle till the end.
Bens unlike in the first half somehow managed to contain the onslaught by the Peterites by having four at the back to defend the ball. Their plans were shattered which ultimately gave them no choice but to get onto the back foot and look to try and defend themselves.
They were successful in the defense in the second half until the 71st minute when they conceded an own goal. It was Afam Akram again who sent a teasing ball across the penalty box. Krishan Rodrigo tried to clear it away but ended up deflecting the ball to his own goal. This summed up the Bens performance.
Sunderajha Niresh was given a straight red card few minutes before the final whistle due to violent behavior in field which was clearly unwanted and unexpected by a player of his caliber. At the final whistle the final score stood at five goals to nil, giving St.Peter’s College and emphatic win over St Benedict’s College.
ThePapare.com Man of the Match: Afam Akram
