It was a story of what could have been when Navy SC took on Blue Star SC Kalutara at the Sugathadasa Stadium, with both teams missing a host of opportunities to take home all the points in what proved to be a thoroughly entertaining game.
Both teams came into the fixture struggling to impose themselves on the Super 8 stage of the Dialog Champions League 2015, and this was seen as a must win game for both teams in order to keep their title hopes alive.
Navy who were 4th in the table prior to kick off got off to the better start with their possession play, and David Osagie was at the forefront of their forays forward, having an acrobatic bicycle kick going narrowly over the bar and then having a shot from a corner kick cleared off the line by the Blue Star defence.
Blue Star finally got their act together around the 20th minute mark as the Navy defence struggled to cope with the physicality of Yankson Richards upfront and they proceeded to dominate a majority of the remainder of the game.
Navy goalkeeper Udayanga Reginold produced some brilliant saves, including an amazing double save where he parried a shot from Yankson Richards into the path of E.B. Channa and then produced a stunning save from point blank range off the rebound. He was aided by some wasteful play from the Blue Star forwards, especially Richards who really struggled in front of goal.
The second half started the same way as the first ended, with Blue Star in the ascendency and Richards failing to trouble the keeper having being played clean through on goal as many as three times. Coach Pitchai finally grew frustrated with his forward’s performance and replaced him with the energetic Shifakath Rahuman in the 56th minute.
Navy had a few chances of their own in the second half, with Nalaka Roshan having a decent chance well saved by Risvi in the Blue Star goal. They then proceeded to hit the woodwork twice in quick succession with Subhash Madhushan hitting the post and Chalana Chameera side footing the rebound on to the crossbar from 15 yards out, much to the disbelief of many in the crowd.
There was more action to come late on in the game as the young Shifakath Rahuman finally managed put the ball into the net for the first time in the game, but was adjudged to be in an offside position by the linesman.
A few minutes later he fired in a header from point blank range, only to be denied by the frame of the goal. Both teams held on for the remainder of the game to safeguard the draw, a result that neither team will find particularly useful in the context of the tournament.
ThePapare.com Man of the Match: Udayanga Reginold
