UOC Football 0 vs 0 Piliyandala FC

UOC Football hosted Piliyandala FC at Cooray Park Ground on the morning of 2 August 2026, with kick-off at 10:00am in a friendly neutral 11-a-side fixture. The match ended goalless after 90 minutes plus injury time, but UOC Football triumphed 4-3 in the ensuing penalty shootout.

UOC Football lined up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, deploying Muthusha Chamod in goal. The defensive line consisted of Rashmitha Nilum at right back, Izzath Raji and Abdul Raheem as central defenders, and Anuruth Kaushalya at left back. In midfield, Wendt Edmund took up the right midfield role, with Saddhiq Ahamadh and Akith Jayalath occupying the central midfield positions, while Pawan Fernando operated on the left flank. Up front, the strike partnership featured Radeesh Migara on the right and Sasith Manakal on the left. The formation was designed to provide defensive solidity through the back four, with the midfielders expected to support both defence and attack, while the forwards aimed to capitalise on chances created from wide areas and central play. The substitutes named were Pasindu Prabhath, Lawrence Arun, and Sanuth Wijayarathna.

The first notable event came in the 24th minute when Rashmitha Nilum ventured forward and attempted a shot from outside the box, which was well saved by the Piliyandala FC defender on the goal line, denying UOC Football an early breakthrough. UOC had a staggering 16 shots on goal, with 6 on target in the first half, but still couldn't find the back of the net. Despite their dominant effort, the match remained goalless at the break

Shortly after the interval, tactical changes were introduced by UOC Football at the hour mark. Wendt Edmund was replaced by Pasindu Prabhath on the right midfield, while Akith Jayalath made way for Lawrence Arun. These substitutions aimed to inject fresh energy and creativity into the midfield, seeking to unlock the resolute Piliyandala defence.

As the match progressed, the intensity remained high but neither side could find a way past the opposing goalkeeper. In the 75th minute, UOC Football made their final tactical substitution, with goalkeeper Muthusha Chamod making way for Sanuth Wijayarathna.

With the full 90 minutes completed and the scoreline still 0-0, the match was decided by penalties. UOC Football held their nerve to win the shootout 4-3, securing victory in this tightly contested friendly encounter. Goalkeeper Sanuth proved to be the hero, diving the correct way on all five spot-kicks and pulling off two incredible saves to seal the win.