A solid second-half performance from Havelocks Sports Club secured a hard-fought 29-18 victory over Army Sports Club in a tightly contested sixth-week fixture of the Mastercard Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2024/25 at the Army Grounds in Panagoda.
Gayan Salinda kicked off Week 6’s opening match, with Army quickly earning a penalty, after Havelocks winger Harusha Perera was penalised for a high tackle. Salinda’s penalty kick, however, sailed wide, missing an early scoring chance. Undeterred, Army maintained pressure and capitalised on another penalty. Opting for a quick tap, they caught the Havelocks’ defense off guard. A series of pick-and-drives set the stage for prop Dhanuka Wijethilake to power over the line, securing the first points of the game. (Army 05-00 Havelocks)
The Havelocks found their footing when Army conceded a penalty for not releasing the tackler, allowing Samuel Maduwantha to slot a confident kick and put the visitors on the scoreboard.
The visitors kept up their attacking efforts, but Army’s solid defensive structure held firm. Despite a scrappy first half filled with errors, the soldiers managed to maintain a slender two-point advantage heading into Half Time.
Half Time: Army SC 05 (1T) – Havelocks SC 03 (1P)
Army started the second half on the front foot, with Gayan Salinda kicking deep to bring play near the Havelocks’ 5-meter line following a penalty. The forwards combined effectively to set up a rolling maul, and No. 8 Madusanka Patapilihewage broke away to score their second try. Salinda redeemed his earlier miss by nailing the tricky conversion, extending the home side’s lead. (Army 12-03 Havelocks)
The Havelocks responded strongly after conceding early in the second half. Their backs made impressive gains into Army’s territory before the forwards took over, earning a penalty near the 5-meter line. Replacement lock Sachinthana Waidyanatha took a quick tap, catching the Army defence off guard, and powered over for a crucial try. Samuel Maduwantha confidently added the conversion, narrowing the gap with a well-taken kick. (Army 12-10 Havelocks)
Army briefly extended their lead with a penalty kick by Gayan Salinda, who remained composed under pressure to stretch the advantage to 5 points. However, this did little to deter the determined Havelocks. Right from the restart, try-scorer Sachinthana Waidyanatha powered through the Army defence with a commanding 25-meter break. Scrum-half Mohamed Rifan quickly capitalised, spotting an overlap and distributing the ball to the backs. A sequence of swift, precise passes created space for centre Dilshara Kodagoda to charge through and touch down, bringing the game level. (Army 15-15 Havelocks)
The momentum firmly shifted to the Park Club as Army struggled under pressure, repeatedly conceding penalties. Expecting a conventional kick to touch, the home side was caught off guard by the quick thinking of playmaker Sandesh Jayawickrama. Spotting an opportunity, Jayawickrama delivered a pinpoint cross-kick to the opposite corner, where winger Jayathu Rajarathne was waiting. Rajarathne gathered the ball cleanly and darted over near the posts, leaving the Army defence stunned. Maduwantha added the conversion with ease, further extending Havelocks’ lead and piling on the pressure for the hosts. (Army 15-22 Havelocks)
Army reduced the gap to just four points with a well-taken penalty by Gayan Salinda after the Havelocks were caught offside. However, the Havelocks put the game beyond doubt in the 77th minute. Replacement scrum-half Kalindu Silva executed a precise cross-kick, which found Jayathu Rajarathne in stride. Rajarathne collected the ball brilliantly and charged over the line to score the bonus-point try. Maduwantha added the conversion, sealing a decisive victory for the visitors.
Full Time: Army SC 18 (2T,1C,2P) – Havelocks SC 29 (4T,3C,1P)
- Player of the Match: Sandesh Jayawickrama (Havelocks SC)
Points Breakdown
Army SC 18
Dhanuka Wijethilake 1T, Madusanka Patapilihewage 1T, Gayan Salinda 1C,2P
Havelocks SC 29
Sachinthana Waidyanatha 1T, Dilshara Kodagoda1T, Jayathu Rajarathne 2T, Samuel Maduwantha 3C,1P
