St. Peter’s College put eight goals past an out of sorts Nalanda College line up as they recorded their third win of the group with a 8-2 score-line, in the Kotmale Chox Schools’ U19 Football Championship match worked off at St. Peter’s College grounds yesterday.
The Peterite outfit comprised of many juniors as they were given valuable game time prior to the knockout phases and a much needed rest to the senior players. Nevertheless, the new faces seemed to leave no room for concern as they started shifting a few gears a few minutes into the game.
It only took them 17 minutes to go ahead in the game through an unlikely source as the Nalandian goalkeeper had a moment of madness when he punched the ball into his own net after a midfield through ball bounced into his box unchallenged.
It took only another two minutes for the Petes to double their lead when skipper Ishan Danusha headed the ball home off a Danajaya Supumitha corner.
The 22nd minute saw the demise of the Nalandian keeper as he gave away the third for the Peterites when an intended cross into the box by Shavine Anthony was lobbed over the keeper to give the hosts a commanding 3-0 lead.
Photo Album – St.Peter’s College v Nalanda College – Schools Football 2016
The center-back soon replaced the resource less keeper as his place was then taken by Malindu Thiwanka in midfield in a slight tactical shift in midfield.
It paid little dividends as St.Peter’s only took another minute to add their fourth of the day when the skipper worked his way into the box to score his brace.
When the game seemed done and dusted with the Peterites running riot, the Nalandians found an unlikely goal against the run of play when Buddima Praveen sent in a cross from the right after running past a few defenders for Pasindu Tharaka to head in their first after rising above the rest on the 31st minute.
With the Peterites taken by surprise the Nalanda lads managed to cash in again in the 35th minute when Selaru Deemantha managed to unleash a shot from inside the box to bring the deficit down to two.
However, the Peterites picked up their pace in the last portion of the first half as they rallied to score their fifth on the stroke of half time with their captain scoring a first half hat trick after he danced his way past defenders to score from a shot inside the opposition box.
The second half saw nothing different from the first as the Nalandians, chasing the game, could not get a hold of proceedings.
If the game was already out of reach, the 58th minute strike from 15 yards out by Razik Ahamed sent the game out of site for the visitors.
Although the Nalandians managed to win a penalty a few minutes later they failed to convert it as it summed up their day within a matter of seconds.
The Peterites went on to pile on two more goals in the 63rd and 65th minutes respectively with their star striker Mohamed Shabeer Razooniya getting on the score sheet with a brace.
The referee blew the final whistle to put the Nalandians out of their misery after a dismal performance saw them on the end of a thrashing.
The Peterites’ on the other hand seemed to be gathering steam after a scintillating come back in their opening fixture against Maris Stella which earned them a point. Since then they’ve won three out of three laying claim to the top spot in their group.
ThePapare.com Player of the Match: Ishan Danusha (St.Peter’s College)
