After 3 game weeks Colombo Dockyard & Sampath Bank are tied for top spot in C Division while LB Finance ‘B’ and Union Bank leads D & E Divisions respectively.
The tournament was revived after many a year under the leadership of Saif Yusoof, who was elected as the President of the Mercantile Football Association during the latter part of 2016. The MFA which was inaugurated in 1918 will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year.
‘A’ Division matches are played with 45 minutes per half while all the other divisions have 30 minutes per half. The Champion of each group will be promoted and the last team from each group will be demoted except for A & E Divisions.
C Division
Colombo Dockyard v Sri Lanka Telecom
Sri Lanka Telecom defeated Colombo Dockyard 2-1 with all three goals coming in the first half.
It was E.L.R.Silva who opened the scoring for Dockyard in the 22nd minute but Dilan Madushanka equalized 5 minutes later. In the 30th minute Imesh Madushanka scored the 2nd goal for SLT which ultimately proved to be the winner.
Goal Scorers
Colombo Dockyard – E.L.R.Silva 22’
Sri LankaTelecom – Dilan Madushanka 27’, Imesh Madushanka 30’
Seylan Bank v HSBC
Seylan Bank bagged a comfortable three points with a 4-1 win against HSBC.
Seylan led 2-0 at half time through goals from Mohamed IK and Jeffry Irshard. Irshard would go onto score two more in the 2nd half to complete his hat-trick while Desitha Weligepola scored a consolation goal for HSBC, 7 minutes from full time.
Goal Scorers
Seylan Bank – Mohamed IK 12’, Jeffry Irshard 16’, 37 & 40’
HSBC – Desitha Weligepola 53’
HSBC v Sampath Bank
Sampath Bank inflicted HSBC’s 2nd defeat in as many matches with a 4-1 score line.
Avinda Adikari scored sandwiched between two goals from Dinusha Nanayakkara as Sampath Bank went into half time with a 3-0 lead.
Soon after half time Azeem Fazal scored for HSBC but they were unable to find any more goals before Adikari sealed the game for Sampath Bank with his 2nd in the 58th minute.
Goal Scorers
HSBC – Azeem Fazal 34’
Sampath Bank – Dinusha Nanayakkara 8’ & 22’, Avinda Adikari 16’ & 58’
Colombo Dockyard v Seylan Bank
Mohamed Murshid scored a brace for Colombo Dockyard who won 4-0 against Seylan Bank.
At half time Dockyard only led by a goal from Murshid in the 20th minute before scoring three more in the 2nd half with E.L.R.Silva and V.R.Fernando also getting on the score sheet.
Goal Scorers
Colombo Dockyard – Mohamed Murshid 20’ & 40’, E.L.R.Silva 50’, V.R.Fernando 55’
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Colombo Dockyard | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Sampath Bank | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Sri Lanka Telecom | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Seylan Bank | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
| HSBC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 0 |
D Division
Virtusa v Amana Bank
Virtusa staged a late comeback but it was not enough as Amana Bank secured the three points with a 4-2 win.
Amana Bank led 3-0 at half time with goals coming from Mohamed Niyaz, Mohamed Insaaf and Mohamed Sajith.
Mohamed Irshad scored the 4th just three minutes into the 2nd half but Virtusa shut down the scoring and scored two of their own. Madushan De Silva converted a penalty and Lawrence Coppin added the other.
Goal Scorers
Virtusa – Madushan De Silva (P) 36’, Lawrence Coppin 53’
Amana Bank – Mohamed Niyaz 14’, Mohamed Insaaf 17’, Mohamed Sajith 25, Mohamed Irshad 33’
LB Finance ‘B’ v Virtusa
LB Finance ‘B’ routed Virtusa 7-1 to take a commanding lead in the division. It was just 2-1 at half time before LB Finance went on a rampage in the 2nd half with J.A.L.Tharanga scoring a hat-trick.
Goal Scorers
LB Finance ‘B’ – J.A.L. Tharanga 5’, 35’ & 41’, Vijitha Kumara 10’, Anton Joy (P) 36’ & 39’, Tharanga Perera 45’
Virtusa – Madushan De Silva 20’
Singer v LB Finance ‘B’
Singer was no match for LB Finance ‘B’ who racked up 5 goals in a 5-1 win. The winners led 2-0 at half time. Lakshan Thanuja scored four goals for LB Finance.
Goal Scorers
Singer – K.S.J.Silva 50’
LB Finance ‘B’ – Lakshan Thanuja 10’, 20’, 38’ & 55’, Anton Joy 35’
Dialog v Singer (1 – 1)
Goal Scorers
Dialog – Ahamed Moulana 35’
Singer – A.S.M.Senevirathne 57’
Amana Bank v Dialog (1 – 1)
Goal Scorers
Amana Bank – Mohamed Rifkhan 52’
Dialog – Rifad Mahil 28’
Virtusa v Dialog (0 – 2)
Goal Scorers
Dialog – Rifad Mahil 20’ & 45’
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| LB Finance ‘B’ | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 6 |
| Dialog Axiata | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Amana Bank | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Singer Sri Lanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
| Virtusa Ltd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | -10 | 0 |
E Division
Akbar Brothers v WNS Global
WNS Global in a merciless performance hammered 10 goals past hapless Akbar Brothers. They led 5-0 at half time. Thawshif Thariq was the star for the winners scoring five goals.
Goal Scorers
WNS Global – Thawshif Thariq 5’, 12’, 50, 53’ & 57’, Mohamed Sajjad 9’, Jude Sathithanandan 20’ & 23’, Mohamed Khalid 55’ & 60’
Union Bank v Standard Chartered Bank (1 – 0)
Goal Scorers
Union Bank – Srien Pius 44’
Standard Chartered Bank v DFCC Bank
Rajith Guruge scored a hat-trick as Standard Chartered Bank strolled to a 5-0 win against DFCC Bank.
Goal Scorers
Standard Chartered Bank – Krishan Anthony 11’, Rajith Guruge 37’, 52’ & 57’, Nasar Nafas 60’
Akbar Brothers v Union Bank (0 – 2)
Goal Scorers
Union Bank – Srien Pius 36’, Shabir Raheem 60’
Other Results
WNS Global 0 – 0 Union Bank
DFCC Bank 0 – 0 Akbar Brothers
| Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Union Bank | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| WNS Global | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| Standard Chartered | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| DFCC Bank | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 1 |
| Akbar Brothers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | -12 | 1 |
