Joes snatch two point thriller over Thurstan

Action from the match 

By M. Shamil Amit

St Joseph’s College prevailed against Thurstan College in a thriller by two points (24-22) in the Dialog Schools Rugby League Plate Segment encounter played at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday.

The Joes after conceding a three point (10-7) lead to the Thurstanites accumulated their points through two goals and two tries to a goal and three tries scored by their opponents.

With the Joes leading 24-17 three minutes away from the long whistle the Thurstanites scored a try planted by second row Akeesha Pushpakumara but the conversion was kicked astray which denied them of at least equalising the score and making it a draw,

Thurstan was the first to score from an unconverted try by second row Akeesha Pushpakumara.

The Joes from there on dominated proceedings and they succeeded to breach the Thurstan defence in the 20th minute with skipper and number eight Inosh Silva going for an almost under the post try which gave flanker Adrian Candappa an easy kick at goal.

But Thurstan struck back four minutes later with a try to make it 10-7.

On resumption it was the Joes who made the first scoring in the fifth minute with a try that was converted to take over the lead 14-10.

Ten minutes later Thurstan surged ahead with a try which was converted but the Joes put their opponents under pressure and succeeded to take over the lead from an unconverted try scored by second row Sithanga Liyanage.

The Joes continued their attack and had the Thurstanites in a spot of bother and in a melee saw full Theekshana Jayasinghe creeping through for a try in the 29th minute and with the conversion being fluffed the Joes stretched their lead 24-17 and the try planted by Akeesha Pushpakumara three minutes later proved to be insufficient to prevent the Joes ending out winners by two points.