St.Joseph Vaz book semi-finals in a seven goal thriller against Holy Cross

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St.Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa overcame a late Holy Cross College serge as they beat them 5-2 in the Kotmale Chox Championship second quarter final worked off at the City League Grounds in Colombo.

Joseph Vaz in their red strip kicked things off for the boys from Wennappuwa but it was the team from the Kalutara Holy cross who started off the brightest of the sides. Despite their early spark they didn’t manage to trouble the Joseph Vaz defense with the lack of edge and poor execution.

On the flip side, the Wennappuwa lads slowly got into their stride and dominated proceedings after the first 10 minutes and looked to be more menacing. However, they lacked the clinical ability to breach the Holy Cross defense which held firm leaving the Joseph Vaz lads at bay.

Photo Album: Holy Cross v St.Joseph Vaz – Schools Football 2016 (QF2)

Yet the boys in red, Joseph Vaz managed to edge past their opponents just before the half time break as Ashen Kanishka found himselfat the end of an Anil Manjula through ball who was at the heart of a swift counter and buried the goal.

Soon after Holy Cross had the opportunity to equalize when they were awarded a penalty but their goalkeeper Malinda Jayod, who got injured a little while back, dragged his shot wide, confirming a poor decision to give him the penalty kick after he got his right ankle injured.

Half time: Holy Cross College 0 – 1 St.Joseph Vaz College

The second half began with Holy Cross having their work cut out trailing by a solitary goal. Yet it was Joseph Vaz who doubled their advantage on the stroke of the 50th minute when Kaveen Sucharith managed to swat home an excellent cross from the right by Bidushan Fernando.

Holy Cross was left with a mountain to climb as they had their work cut out against a Joseph Vaz team brimming with confidence.

The lads from Wennappuwa didn’t hold back as they pressed forward with their tails up and carrying their momentum forward managed to score a 3rd through a Bidushan Fernando penalty in the 54th minute after sloppy bit of play by Afdal Azmi resulted in a rash challenge on Ashen Kanishka inside his own penalty box.

With the game seeming all but lost for the lads from Kalutara, it had to be nothing short of a miracle for them to turn things around.

However the persistent Holy Cross offense managed to pull a goal back as on the 64th minute when substitute Dineth Sandeepa, who was brought on just seconds before, managed to thump the ball home off a scrumptious Nirmal Udara cross from the right.

With the momentum fleetingly shifting towards the Holy Cross lads, they managed to sneak another goal in when provider turned scorer in the 67th minute as Nirmal Udara snuck the ball home past a rooted keeper off a Mohomed Shami cross.

With the game seemingly hanging on the edge, it looked as though Holy Cross could manage to crawl back into the tie with an equalizer.

Nevertheless with another unexpected turn of events Joseph Vaz managed to score two more goals in the 83rd and 91st minutes through a Devinda Milinda strike and an unfortunate Divantha Hashen own- goal.

The game came to a close with both sets of players drenched after giving it their all with a depleted bunch of Holy Cross players leaving with their heads hanging low.

Full time: Holy Cross College 2 – 5 St.Joseph Vaz College  

ThePapare.com Player of the Match – Bidushan Fernando (St.Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa)

Speaking to ThePapare.com the coach of Joseph Vaz College;

Some of my Center backs were injured so they couldn’t play in their usual style where they work the ball from defense but that being said they played well to dig deep after that late come back from Holy Cross.

Speaking about their semi-finals clash,

“It’s a different sort of challenge against them (St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna) but I hope my players will be fit in time so that we can face them as strong unit.”

Speaking to the ThePapare.com the coach of Holy Cross Kalutara;

“We did well to fight back from three nil down but that fourth goal broke our momentum and from there onwards it was a stiff task for us considering the time factor as well.”

Goal Scorers 

Holy Cross College, Kalutara – Dineth Sandeepa (64th), Nirmal Udara (67th)

St.Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa – Ashen Kaniashka (30th), Kaveen Sucharith (50th), Bidushan Fernando (P) (54th), Devinda Milinda (83rd), Divantha Hashen (OG) (90+1)