Renown utterly dominated a lackluster Java Lane side as two goals each in either half gave the perfect start for the Super 8 round with a 4-0 win at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Emmanuel Ojinkeya pounced on a defensive mistake to add the first and Mohamed Rifnaz scored the second before half time. Rifnaz once again scored with the defense scrambling and Onana Franklin converted a penalty ending a miserable night for the Slave Island lads.
Photo Album – Renown SC v Java Lane SC – Dialog Champions League 2015 (Super 8)
Renown who finished fourth in group A carried forward no bonus point while Java Lane got one for finishing third in group B. The match against the cross town rivals has in the past proved to be classic and heated but on the day it failed to live up to expectations.
Java Lane lacked vision, energy and luck throughout the 90 minutes as the crossbar got in their way of a goal. At the back, the defensive line was all at sea without any communication which led to two of the goals and was lucky not to have conceded more.
A goal kick by Sathish Kumar was not cleared as Ojinkeya burst through the middle with Chamara De Silva and Shuaib Mohamed waiting for the other to clear and Ojinkeya rounded off Dammika Senerath to score.
Even after conceding Java Lane lacked cohesion with constant arguments in defense and midfield letting them down in crucial moments. And it did when the second was scored by Mohamed Rifnaz with a powerful low drive from inside the box after the defense failed to clear the ball.
The second half was much the same though Java Lane had another thumping long range effort by Mohamed Aleem bouncing off the crossbar after a Afam Akram corner also rattled the crossbar in the first half.
Normal services were resumed as the two center-backs failed to communicate as Rifnaz buried home the third past the on rushing Senerath.
The fourth was a penalty which was converted by Onana Franklin who was making his debut for the lads from Kotahena. Franklin was fouled inside the box and he took it upon himself sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to cap off another very good performance by Renown.
ThePapare.com Man of the Match: Mohamed Rifnaz
“We didn’t have any energy and urgency and luck wasn’t on our side. We hit the crossbar a couple of times and after the first goal we went all-out and then they scored the second which was a blow for us. Lots of defensive errors and miscommunication which led to the three goals from the middle. We need to rectify the mistake and bounce back quickly,” a frustrated Mohamed Zaheer told ThePapare.com
