Dialog Schools Rugby League: Wesley cruise through to second successive win with ease

By M. Shamil Amit

Wesley cruised through to their second successive win of the ongoing Dialog Schools Rugby League tournament with an easy 29 points to 10 win over DSS in the match played at Longdon Place yesterday.
Wesley, having taken a comfortable 21-3 lead at the breather, made up their points through three goals, a try and a drop goal to a goal and a try scored by DSS.
The first session saw Wesley going into the attack and had the DSS defence in shambles as they succeeded in making the first scoring in the third minute, with centre Manuga Jayaweera going over for a try and fullback Abdul Haadhi adding the extra points.
They continued to put their opponents under pressure with their fast moves, which had them struggling for survival, and they surged ahead in the seventh minute from an under-the-post try scored by winger Pawan Thiranagama, and Abdul Haadhi, making no mistake with the conversion, saw them leading 14-0.
From there on, the two sides shared the honours, and in the 24th minute, an infringement by a Wesley player saw DSS being offered a penalty, which was booted over by centre Thathsara Perera.
Four minutes later Wesley went further ahead, with second-row Naham Hemachandra going over for an under-the-post try and man in form Haadhi booting over the conversion, which was followed by a penalty being fluffed by DSS, and with no further scoring being done, saw Wesley lead 21-3 at lemons.
The second half saw DSS dominating the early stages of proceedings, but they failed to take advantage of the scoring opportunities they received. It was Wesley who made the first scoring in the 13th, with fullback Haadhi booting over a drop goal.
DSS failed to take the opportunity after two Wesley players were sin-binned and reduced to 13 players as they threw away scoring opportunities before succeeding to breach the Wesley defence in the 28th with winger Timothy Jithnula and Thathsara Perera making the conversion.
With the match nearing the end, Wesley almost sealed it, two minutes away from the finish, from an unconverted try scored by flanker Prathana Rodrigo as Wesley cruised through by 29-10 to chalk up their second successive win of the tournament.
Referee: Raveen Alexander