Shazny boots HNB to the wrong side of the ledger

Abdul Rahman Ahmed Shazny, Expo Lanka’s tall, slim 19 -year-old centre forward booted five goals, including a hat-trick to send Hatton National Bank to the wrong side of the ledger and win the final of the MFA ‘A’ Division knock-out championship played at the CR and FC grounds with a 5-1 win. At half time the scores were level at one all.

The game had hardly got underway when, Expo Lanka’s custodian was caught on the wrong foot and centre forward W.A.S. Gunawardena put Hatton National Bank one up in the very first minute. However, 18 seconds before the short whistle, defender Mohamed Irfan sent a pass to centre forward Shazny who made no mistake to equalize. (1-1)

After the change of ends the game was all Expo Lanka’s and specially, Shazny’s who came out firing on all cylinders.

In the 47th minute of play, Expo Lanka went ahead when forward Nilan Kanishka made a break through the HNB defence and Shazny it was once again to the fore. (2-1).

The third goal was undoubtedly the goal of the day. Collecting the ball in the centre of the field, Shazny, worked his way through a wall of HNB defenders and detonated his shot into the net to complete his hattrick in the 75th minute. (3-1). In the 79th minute it was once again Shazny who made it 4-1 and in the 84thth minute, the combination of Kanishka and Shazny got their act working again, when Kanishka dribbled has way past the HNB defence and once again Shazny was in position to boot it in.(5-1).

Sixteen minutes later when referee A.A.T. Kumara blew no time and the champions trophy went to Expo Lanka and the last post for Hatton National Bank. A.R.A. Shazny was the star of the game and was duly adjudged the man of the final. (BM)

The game had hardly got underway when, Expo Lanka’s custodian was caught on the wrong foot and centre forward W.A.S. Gunawardena put Hatton National Bank one up in the very first minute, however the lad was short lived