Schools HA win and lose

Ranjan ANANDAPPA

Galle FA notched up the highest number of goals (9-0) against Nationalised Services on the opening day of the 51st Senior National Hockey Championship at Police Park yesterday.

The Southerners went on a goal scoring spree after leading 2-0 at the breather when M.G. Sanjeeva struck four times to sound the boards while L.H. Nanayakkara (2), L.B. Sooriyarachchi, A.H. Sampath and I.K. Rambukwella scored a goal each for the winners.

In the first match of the day Defence Services outplayed Sri Lanka Schools by 6 goals to 1 after leading 2-0 at half time. M. Mulaffer (4), T.M. Cramer and T. Panditharatne scored a goal each. Geemal Dias scored the solitary goal for the losers.

In the second match Mercantile HA beat Combined Universities by 4-0. C. Senanayake (2), D. Weerasinghe and M. Ariyawansa were the goal scorers. The match between State Services HA and Kegalle ended in a scoreless draw, while J.N. Jayasundera, A.C. Fernando and A.P. Shantha scored a goal each to help Colombo HA to beat Uva 3-0.

Jaffna HA participating in the championship after some years went down fighting 4-1 to a fancied Matale outfit. Matale led 3\1 at the breather. D.R. Dissanayake (1), D.G. Gunaratne (2) and T. Weerakkody (1) scored for Matale while S. Suvathas scored the solitary goal for the Jaffna team.

The Schools team who lost the first game badly came back fighting to record a convincing 9-0 win over Matara HA. D.M. Bandara struck the board four times while Marlon Senanayake (2), P.H.D. Sandaruwan, Geemal Dias, and G. Bokarangoda were the other goal scorers.

The championship will continue today from 8.00 am onwards at the same venue.