Mohomed Fazal converted from the spot deep into injury time as 10 men Renown drew 1-1 against Air Force at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Kavindu Ishan gave Air Force the lead from the penalty spot after Mohomed Farood handled the ball on the goal line, for which he was sent off.
With seconds left in the match Shri Kanth fouled Mohomed Rizni inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot under protest from Air Force. Fazal calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to equalize.
Tempers reached boiling point minutes after the equalizer when Shanmugaraja Sanjeev clashed with an Air Force player and all 22 players in the field got into a scuffle. It took 10 minutes for the officials to control the situation for play to resume.
Renown were looking to continue their good start to the second round while the shorthanded Air Force without their strikers Nipuna Bandara and DK Duminda were on the back of a hard fought nill all draw against the Up Country Lions at Nawalapitiya.
“Today also I am without three of my key players, including Duminda and Nipuna. Renown are a good team, but I have prepared them well for today’s match.” Gafoor Rahim who took over as coach from Sampath Perera added before the match.
“Talking about championship hopes, we are 11 points behind Navy with a game in hand. It can change from game to game. I plan my tactics from match to match. Looking forward to give a title push.” He mentioned when asked about their title aspirations.
Air Force started off in threatening manner and getting a couple of free kick in dangerous positions but Janaka Chaminda’s deliveries was not on target. As the match went on Renown asserted their authority with swift one touch passing in a 4-3-3 formation. Veteran Fazul Rahuman and youngsters Fazal and Mohomed Rifnaz were in the thick of things.
However neither team was able to create clear opportunities in the first half.
Four minutes into the second half Chaminda bombed down the right wing past two defenders and crossed from the by line, where Sumedha Fernando’s first time effort was handled by Farood on the goal line. Farood was given a straight red card for his efforts and Kavindu Ishan sent the goalkeeper Sathish Kumar the wrong way to give Air Force the lead.
Even though down to 10 men it was Renown who dominated the second half as Air Force goalkeeper was forced into saving two fierce shots by Shanmugaraja Sanjeev and Rifnaz.
Air Force looked all over the place even with a one man advantage and one such incident almost gave Renown the equalizer only to be denied by the keeper’s feet when the defense failed to clear the ball and Rifnaz took a shot from an acute angle.
Air Force had one chance in the second half, as Kavindu ran through with the keeper to beat but took his shot early which went wide of the goal under pressure from behind. However it was the hosts who kept on knocking on the goal with two free kicks, both just going over the cross bar.
Deep into the four minutes of injury time a marauding Rizni down the right was brought down by Shri Kanth and the referee pointed to the penalty spot after the line referee flagged it for a foul. Air Force were incensed with that decision. Fazal stepped up and scored the equalizer with the keeper stranded.
From the restart Sanjeev and another Air Force player went at each other and both sides had to be parted by the officials delaying the match for 10 minutes., while Sanjeev and the Air Force player was red carded for their indiscipline.
