Two goals within minutes of full time by Nandimithra SC secured the three points from the jaws of defeat albeit with some horrible keeping by Police custodian Abrev.
With just a couple of minutes left and seemingly headed for defeat an intended cross by Manoj Kumara looped over the goalkeeper and crashed under the cross bar leveling the scores. They took the lead and the win when Udaya Madusanka’s free kick beat Abrev at his near post making it 3-2 and sending Nandimithra, the Civil Service Division into ecstasy.
Coming into the match Police were just a place above the drop zone in 18th position and Nandimithra are on 14th on the table with just four points separating the two.
Nandimithra started off in energetic fashion picking apart the Police defense with their two Africans David Osagie and Daniel Ton-Tonye at the heart of the attack. Police played a high defense line and Ton-Tonye exploiting this weakness against the slow Police back four put in a few lobbed passes setting up some alarm bells.
Police were lucky a couple of occasions but not in the 8th minute when David Osagie clean through chased the passes from Ton-Tonye and an uncertain goalkeeper Abrev came out of his goal late and fouled Osagie just inside the penalty box and received a yellow card for his trouble.
Ton-Tonye stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way giving Nandimithra a deserved lead. Nandimithra dominated the early going but Police recovered to end the first half strongly with Rajitha Jayavilal volley going past the upright by a whisker.
On the hour mark, Police equalized from a Rajitha Jayavilal penalty when Sampath Pathirana was fouled on the edge of the box. Goalkeeper Suranga dived the correct way but was unable to save the perfect penalty into the right top corner.
Nandimithra would have taken the lead minutes later if not for last ditch defending by Police. Osagie weaved his way into the box one on one goalkeeper and Abrev managed to block the fierce shot with his legs, the rebound was again blocked by Kumara Lankeshwara and the rebound from his block was deflected away for a corner.
Police were gifted the lead when Suranga made a horrible free kick into the path of Jayavilal just outside the box and Jayavilal with the goalkeeper well outside of his position tapped the ball into the net making it 2-1.
The better side on the day were Nandimithra and they kept at it searching for an equalizer when Manoj Kumara’s intended cross from the right looped over an out of position Abrev, who was back peddaling and crashed under the crossbar even surprising the Civil Service lads.
A shell shocked Police were unable to hold off the onslaught as Nandimithra took the lead deep into injury time with Abrev’s second mistake in as many minutes. Nandimithra were awarded a free kick just outside the box and the low drive beat the keeper at his near post making it 3-2.
