Wesley storm into semis with stunning 22-15 win

By M. Shamil Amit

Wesley College, who came into their Milo President’s Trophy match against Isipathana College as underdogs, stormed into the semi-final with a stunning 22 points to 15 win played at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

The Wesleyites surprised the fancied Isipathanians by taking a slender 10-08 lead as they made up their points from two goals, a try and a penalty against a goal, a try and a penalty scored by their opponents. In the process they took sweet revenge against the same opponents to whom they lost 17-22 in the league encounter played last month.   

The heroes for the Campbell Park boys were no doubt their Centre Kavindana Perera and Fullback Mursheed Zubair who together did the bulk of the scoring but it was the try two minutes away from the long whistle by winger Mahanandas Paranitharan that sealed the game for Wesley and dashed the hopes of last year’s runners-up Isipathana.  

Until then the two sides were deadlocked at 15 points a piece with both of them sharing the honours of the proceedings in both halves. 

In fact it was an evenly-matched battle in the first half with Isipathana drawing first blood in the tenth minute through an unconverted try by Second Row Chamod Sandaruwan.  

Seven minutes later Wesley Fullback Mursheed Zubair helped reduce the deficit booting over a penalty. 

But three minutes later Pathana skipper and Centre Manelka Ruberu helped his side get back the three points they lost by booting over a penalty.  

Wesley winger Perera surprised the Pathana defence two minutes later with a peach of try which had them dumbstruck and with Zubair making no mistake with the conversion the Wesleyites went into the lead 10-08, which was the score at the short whistle.

On resumption with the game just two minutes old winger Perera sent the Wesley supporters wild as he went over for his second try of the match, with the kick at goal going astray.  

The Pathanians undeterred gave their opponents some anxious moments and managed to penetrate the Wesley defence to successfully score from a five-metre scrum with Centre Manula Ratnayake going over for a try under the post which gave skipper Ruberu an easy kick at goal.  

With the score at 15-all and just over ten minutes of play left, the two sides shared the honours before a blunder by the Isipathana players saw Wesley winger Mahanandas Paranitharan rolling over for a try and with Mursheed Zubair’s perfect kick at goal it sealed the game for Wesley to storm into the semi-final where they will meet St Peter’s.  

Referee – Rohan Fernando