Air Force SC handed the wooden spoon of the Dialog Club Rugby League to CH & FC unofficially when they beat the Maitland Crescent outfit 27-22 points at CH & FC grounds in another 7th week fixture of the Dialog Division ‘A’ Club Rugby League 2013/14.
9th placed Air Force SC and 10th placed CH & FC started the game with the intention of registering their 1st win after 7 weeks of supreme Rugby.
CH & FC place-kicker Pola kicked off from left to right and started the game on a perfect sunny day for Rugby. CH & FC forwards were in business from the kick off as they were attacking in Air Force territory for 10 minutes before they were awarded a penalty right in front of post and Pola made no mistake with the kick. ( CH 03 – Air Force 00 )
A series of penalties were awarded for Air Force deep into the CH territory as the game progressed into the end of the 1st quarter but Air Force opted to kick for goal after great defensive work by CH. Asanka Perera bisected the posts perfectly. ( CH 03 – Air Force 03 )
Air Force came to the lead for the 1st time in the 25th minute when CH & FC prop forward Dushantha Lakmal was sent off to the sin bin after a dangerous tackle on an Air Force player and Asanka Perera put over the his 2nd penalty kick for the day. ( CH 03 – Air Force 06 )
Air Force were grinding hard with pick and go moves inside CH 22’ but they could not penetrate the CH defense for more than 10 minutes before Suranga Arunashantha took a quick tap with only 5 meters to the try line and side stepped to score the first Air Force try of the game to increase their lead going into the half time while Asanka Perera converted the Suranga’s under the post try. ( CH 03 – Air Force 13 )
CH & FC had a motive in their hearts to win this bottom of the table clash but made silly mistakes at crucial times which resulted them in losing point scoring possession and territory. Air Force without any big star players or foreign expatriates played an open fast game of rugby but ball handling errors by the visitors as well forced the referee to halt the game at regular intervals.
Air Force No.16 Rumesh Wasantha was yellow carded for a late tackle on a CH & FC player on verge of the half time whistle and CH & FC place kicker Pola could not add to his penalty score as his kick went astray giving Air Force 10 points lead going into the break.
Half Time : CH & FC 03 – Air Force 13
After the lemons, Air Force skipper Charith Senevirathne restarted the game and both teams opted to kick looking for territory than possession as ball possession changed continuously for the first few minutes of the 2nd half before CH & FC full back Kanishka Saranga chased down a brave chip kick by CH & FC fly half and gathered the ball to sprint away and score CH & FC’s 1st try for the evening. Pola made no mistake with the conversion reducing the Air Force lead to a slight 3 points. ( CH 10 – Air Force 13 )
Both teams showed poor performance with their dismal ball handling skills while Air Force kicker missed the touch line at crucial moments when he was given the job of punting over the penalties to gain territory. CH & FC place kicker and their key play maker Pola missed a difficult penalty to equal the scores in the 52nd minute but CH & FC’s replacement wing three quarter Godfrey White made a terrific run into the left corner flag to put CH & FC slightly into the lead as the game reached into the nail biting final few minutes. Pola missed the conversion kick.( CH 15 – Air Force 13 )
With just 10 minutes left for the long whistle, Air Force half back Nadeesh Perera dazzled his way past CH defenders to score under the post and get back into the lead. Asanka Perera added the extra points. ( CH 15 – Air Force 20 )
CH & FC made many mistakes in the whole game but the biggest mistake was made in the 75th minute when CH center three quarter Dharshana Lochana offloaded a loose pass to Air Force fly half Nuwan Perera who ran 50 meters to score under the post taking the game beyond CH’s reach and Asanka Perera converted easily to extend the lead. ( CH 15 – Air Force 27 )
With only few minutes left on the clock, CH & FC number 8 Rotu Bala barged over the try line to show some respite to the CH & FC home supporters in another disappointing performance which was the 7th consecutive loss for the Maitland Crescent Club as Referee Dinka Peiris blew the final whistle after Pola converted the final try. Air Force played with lot of heart and courage to overcome their forgettable performances throughout the league to register their 1st win for the season.
Full Time : CH & FC 22 – Air Force 27
