Army 4 Islamabad 0

NBP 5 Balochistan ‘A’ 0

Punjab ‘A’ 2 Sindh 2

NWFP ‘A’ 4 Punjab ‘B’ 1

KARACHI, Jan 27: Left-back Imran Ali Warsi notched up the first hat trick of the Junior Under-18 National Hockey Championship to guide National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to a 5-0 victory over Balochistan ‘A’ at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Sunday.

The penalty corner executioner sounded the board in the 17th, 21st and 27th minute as the bankers led 3-0 at half-time.

Imran picked up his fourth goal in the 69th minutes, five minutes after right-winger Owais Moid scored a field goal.

The bankers converted four of the nine penalty corners whereas Balochistan squandered five.

In the other match of the day, Sindh ‘B’ came back from two goals down to share a point with a fancied Punjab ‘A’.

Asif Bilal and Imran Khan found the cage in the 13th and 14th minute and well before Sindh players had adjusted themselves to the conditions. But the Sindh boys lifted themselves to launch several attempts to restore parity.

Their efforts paid off a minute before half-time when Naeem Waeed converted a penalty corner.

Sindh started second session with zest and determination and repeatedly made inroads only to be denied by Punjab defence line.

However, a melee in Punjab danger area earned Sindh a penalty stroke which was converted by a cool and composed Adnan Hameed in the 55th minute.

The fight for supremacy intensified and both teams made good attacks only to lack finishing touches. In the end, both teams had to share the spoils. Punjab secured eight penalty corners while Sindh got six penalty corners besides the penalty stroke.

In an another match, Army overcame a spirited Islamabad who ran out of steam in the second half to concede four goals after holding the winners to 0-0 at the breather.

Khalil Ahmad (44), Mohammad Imran (52), Ikram-ul-Haq (65) and Malik Aijaz (70).

In the afternoon match, NWFP ‘A’ routed Punjab ‘B’ 4-1.

Monday’s fixture: Pakistan Railways v Balochistan ‘B’ at 10.00am; Pakistan Education Board (PEB) v Islamabad at 1.45pm; Sindh ‘A’ v NWFP ‘B’ at 3.15pm.