In the 30th Dr. R.L. Hayman Water Polo showdown, Royal College and S. Thomas’ College filled the stands with excitement and tension. The encounter concluded on Saturday with S. Thomas’ College securing a thrilling win in the 2nd leg, resulting in both schools becoming joint champions with an equal aggregate score of 21 at the Sugathadasa Stadium Swimming Pool.
S. Thomas’ College made a strong comeback in the 2nd leg, scoring 11 goals against Royal College. As the defending champions from last year, they retained their honour and the coveted trophy.
The game began much like the previous week, with S. Thomas’ winning the 1st swim ball and Migara Gurusinghe scoring the opening goal with a thunderous shot. Thomian skipper Yumal Bollegala added to the tally with the 2nd goal just three minutes into the game. Dimeetri Liyanage responded for Royal, narrowing the gap to 1 goal. Aiden Thissera, playing as the center forward, added another goal for S. Thomas’ while Royal’s skipper Randa Ranathunga scored the 2nd goal for his team. Gurusinghe struck again for STC, making it 4-2, followed by Bollegela’s bounce shot, extending their lead to 5-2. The scores remained the same at the end of the 1st quarter, with Royal trailing by 2 goals in the aggregate score.
In the 2nd quarter, Sreshta Anthonisz scored for S. Thomas’, reducing the aggregate gap to just 1 goal. Talib Mansoor leveled the aggregate score at 17. Gurusinghe continued to shine, scoring the 8th goal for STC and putting them ahead by 1 goal. Yasandu De Silva responded for Royal, making it 18 all by halftime.
The 3rd quarter saw both teams scoring only 1 goal each, with the aggregate score tied at 19. Mihin Wanigasekara scored for Royal, bringing their total to 4 goals, while Gurusinghe added one more for S. Thomas’ with some excellent teamwork.
In the final quarter, Royal College secured their 3rd swim ball win of the game, and Anuga Hadunpathirana scored their 5th goal. However, Gurusinghe once again delivered for S. Thomas’ College, tying the aggregate score. De Silva scored a crucial goal for Royal, but with less than 2 minutes remaining, Thissera scored the match-winning goal for S. Thomas’ College, resulting in an equal aggregate score of 21 goals. S. Thomas’ College displayed remarkable improvement in their defensive play, leading to their 5-goal lead victory in the 2nd leg, with a final score of STC 11 and Royal 6.
Migara Gurusinghe from S. Thomas’ College was honoured as the Most Outstanding Player of the 30th Dr. R.L. Hayman encounter, receiving the Royal College Group of ‘92 Challenge Trophy for his outstanding performance, which included a total of 10 goals scored in both legs and exceptional work in both attacking and defending.
In the under-15 encounter, the Mahinda Liyanage Challenge Trophy was won by the young talents of Reid Avenue, securing a two-leg win with an aggregate score of 49 to 26 for S. Thomas’ College.
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