Ashgabat FC demolish Sri Lanka Army

Ashgabat FC of Turkmenis-tan demolished Sri Lanka Army 5-1 on Thursday to get the ideal warm-up before playing Dhaka Abahani in the AFC President’s Cup Group B deciding match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
The first-half was almost a one way traffic as the tall and physically stronger players of the Turkmenistan side adopted an attacking strategy. Ashgabat used both the flanks and the midfield to unsettle the opponents. Sri Lanka Army occasionally reached the Ashgabat goalpost on the counter-attack.
However, Ashgabat were more or less in a relaxed mood and they played free-flowing football to stamp their authority. They also rested a number of their regular players including the first-choice goalkeeper Samudarov.
Sri Lanka Army had hardly touched the ball when Ashgabat went up in the second minute through midfielder Arif. The wily midfielder just changed the direction of the ball from an Ahmed free-kick to beat Sri Lankan keeper Ruwan at the far post.
Ashgabat midfielder Ahmed, the livewire behind every attack, blasted the ball over the crossbar from the edge of the box from an Arif square pass.
Sri Lanka Army were unfortunate in the 36th minute when midfielder Dunil Perera’s goal from an indirect free-kick was disallowed by Chinese referee Fan Qi as no player had touched the ball before it entered the post.
However, Ashgabat struck in the very next minute as Arif coolly placed the ball at the far post from a Rustam cross.
Five minutes after the break, Arif set Amanov free with a side-heel and the tall midfielder drilled a low shot past Ruwan to give his team a three-goal cushion.
Sri Lanka Army utilised the lack of concentration of their opponents and skipper Priaynakara reduced the margin in the 66th minute with a left-footed placing shot from a cross from Priyadarshana.
Ashgabat, eager to increase the goal margin, piled up the pressure and scored another two in the dying minutes. In the 70th minute, Amanov hit the side post from the edge of the box but he played in substitute forward Urazoz who hit the back of the net from six yards in the 74th minute.
Four minutes before the long whistle, Amanov scored the fifth with a powerful drive from 18 yards out.
Ashgabat coach Boris Grigoyants was a happy man. ‘We won in a way we always want to win, we are focussed on the group and the tournament championship,’ said Boris.
Sri Lanka Army coach Pathmanathan found positives from his AFC President’s Cup campaign. ‘We learnt a lot and hope to play better in the future,’ said the coach.
Ashgabat face Dhaka Abahani in the last match of the group on Saturday. Abahani defeated Sri Lanka Army 2-1 in the first match.

Courtesy of NewAgebd