KARACHI, Jan 25: Pakistan Army bounced back in the second period after conceding a shock first half goal to rout Pakistan Education Boards (PEB) 5-1 in the junior under-18 national hockey championship Friday.
The bewildered soldiers remained in a quest of an equaliser for 51 minutes after PEBs’ Sohrab gave the winners a rude shock by slamming home in the 12th minute at the Hockey Club of Pakistan.
Armymen eventually came out of their shell and ended the goal drought with a 52nd-minute penalty corner when Anis-ur-Rahman scored off an indirect drill.
The goal then opened up a barrage of attacks and soldiers netted two minutes later, again through an indirect effort by skipper Mohammad Imran.
The Sohrab goal proved to be a flash in the pan as Army fired two quickfire goals to demoralise the PEB and make it 4-1.
Anis added his second in the 61st minute, while Imran calmly slammed home a 62nd-minute stroke following a foul by a PEB defender.
The soldiers completed PEB’s misery with a goal just a minute before time.
In a one-sided affair, Sindh A handed Balochistan B a 4-0 humiliation.
The local boys, though, had to wait to open their account for 23 minutes after the start, broke the ice in the 24th minute through Shabbir Ahmad Khan and added three more after changing the ends.
Mudassir’s 41st-minute raid was followed by a penalty corner conversion by Ather Hussain six minutes later. Allay Hussain had his name on the scoresheet in the 60th minute.
Railways pumped in a goal in each halves to defeat NWFP B 2-0.
Kashif Saeed came into action with goal in 13th minute, while Mohammad Ali struck the board in the 53rd minute.
Islamabad was awarded a walkover after Pakistan Ordnance Factories did not show up.
Saturday’s fixtures: Balochistan B v NWFP B at 9.00am; PTCL v Punjab B at 10.30am; Punjab A v Balochistan A at 1.45pm; Police v NWFP A at 3.15pm.