City FL v Negombo FL - U19 Junior Inter League Final - CR&FC - 08/07/2016 - Afam Akram (R) in acion
City Football League cruised to a comfortable 5-0 win against Negombo Football League in the final of the Korea-Sri Lanka friendship U19 Junior Inter League Championship at the CR&FC grounds.
City FL possessing a number of Sri Lanka U19 players were overwhelming favourites coming into the tournament, let alone the final, and they proved their class putting the game beyond doubt in 22 minutes where they scored three.
For Negombo FL, their task was made harder even before the match with the deadly Sri Lanka U19 striker Dilip Peiris being ruled out of the final as he was still recovering from an ankle injury.
Six Sri Lanka U19 players started for City FL as they took the game by the scruff of its neck, pilling on the pressure especially on the left with Dilan Madushanka and Afam Akram creating havoc with their pace and trickery.
Photo Album – City v Negombo – U19 Junior Inter League Final (2016)
7 minutes into the game City scored their first after Dilan got on the end of a slick move between Naveen Jude and Afam, to roll the ball into the far corner.
In the 12th minute Afam turned home a Shafran Sathar cross from the right wing to make it 2-0.
10 minutes later it was Mohamed Shaheel, who was playing out of position at centre-back, to score as he found himself completely unmarked inside the six yard box and headed in an Afam Akram corner.
Negombo did get an opportunity to peg one back when they got a penalty but skipper Kasun Sandeepa Fernando could only shoot straight at the goalkeeper, Ashfq Ayub.
City did miss a few chances with Naveen slicing the ball wide from point blank range after good work from Dilan but did not have to worry as they too got a penalty, for handball, four minutes before half time which was easily dispatched by former Sri Lanka U19 skipper Danushka Madushanka.
Negombo FL was a completely different side in the second half threatening to score more often with former Maris Stella College captain Supun Lahiru, forcing a brilliant save from Ayub.
However in a scrappy yet entertaining second half it was once again City FL who got the only goal in the half when Danushka Madushanka was fouled inside the box and Shaheel stepped-up to slot-in the fifth for the winners in the 82nd minute.
ThePapare.com Player of the Match: Danushka Madushanka
Goal Scorers
City FL – Dilan Madushanka 7’, Afam Akram 12’, Mohamed Shaheel 22’ & 82’, Danushka Madushanka 41’
