Army coach Mohamed Fawmy was left fuming as Renown SC earned a point courtesy a Mohamed Fazal penalty deep into injury time which according to him had gone beyond the three minutes given.
“Injury time dragged onto eight minutes, way past the three minutes which was given,” a frustrated Fawmy uttered before walking away in displeasure.
Group A table toppers Army SC went head to head with Renown SC where the match had to be abandoned after the first half of play due to the heavy rain resulting in a muddy outfield. After discussing with the captains both parties agreed on suspending the match and it recommenced midweek at CR&FC grounds.
Army was on top of their game right through the match while Renown struggled to find their footing. Army drew first blood in the 76th minute through a penalty which was taken successfully by Madushan De Silva.
Next remaining were crucial for both teams especially for Renown after having drawn against Solid in their last match, they were under pressure to get back into winning ways. Army on the other hand was eager to maintain their winning ways, having lost only one match they looked to be the strongest side in group A.
Renown got close in finding that equalizer but they were unlucky not to. At the end of 90 minutes score stood the same with Army leading 1 goal to nil. Three minutes were added as injury time by the fourth official after consulting with main referee Prashanth Rajkrishna, which made the difference in the game. Renown finally found the equalizer through a penalty which was successfully taken by Mohamed Fazal.
Match heated up after that penalty was awarded to Renown, with the support staff and the Army crowd complaining at the match officials about time. Army supporters showed their frustration of losing the three points which they had in their grasp right from the beginning. They had no choice but to accept the final decision at the end.
Mohamed Amanulla, Renown coach made a contrasting comment regarding the injury time. He stated that three minutes weren’t enough for the lost time during the match. Amidst all drama both teams walked off to changing rooms showing good comradeship which is what we all expect from sports.
