|
|
| February 5, 2002 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 21, 1422 |
Champions PTCL face NBP in final
KARACHI, Feb 4: Reigning champions Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) set up a much anticipated final clash with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) after both recorded comfortable victories in the semifinals of the Junior Under-18 National Hockey Championship at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Monday.
PTCL routed Punjab ‘A’ 3-1 after leading 2-0 at halftime while NBP devastated Police by tennis score (6-0) after leading 2-0 at lemon time.
The final will be played Tuesday at 2.30pm. At 9.00am, the losing semifinals will lock horns in the third place play-off match.
NBP’s penalty corner executioner Imran Ali Warsi continued to make the competition of his own when he found the net twice to take his tally of goals to 10. Imran converted the first penalty corner in the 25th minute after Mohammad Kashif Ikram had given the bankers the lead in the 14th minute by finding the cage with a first time effort the top left circle.
Warsi, a D.J Science College student, was in action in the 46th minute when he converted a penalty stroke. He got a couple of more goal scoring opportunities but once his deadly push went over the bar and the second time the ball was not stopped properly.
NBP went 4-0 ahead in the 48th minute when Javed Iqbal tapped in a well executed cross from Kashif before Owais Moeed banged in two goals in three minutes to complete Police’s misery.
Owais first scored in the 59th minute when his forceful shot deflected into the net from defender’s stick. In the 62nd minute, Owais scored the goal of the tournament when he beat no less than half a dozen defenders, including the goalkeeper, with his brilliant run and stick work.
Police also had their chances which were not utilized due to poor finishing. Their best scoring chance came in the 50th minute but Mohammad Asghar’s reverse flick from about 10 yards from goal went over the bar.
It was a pity that Police failed to convert any of the eight penalty corners. It was a shame to watch their penalty corner drills, particularly in the background that it is the best goal scoring opportunity in modern day hockey. Either the pushes were feeble or the balls were not stopped properly.
The Police players were not only below-par, they were temperamental when they used their body, particularly after the bankers were awarded a 46th minute penalty stroke. The umpires, Dilawar Bhatti and Mohsin Ali Khan, showed unnecessary leniency when they showed four green cards but became ruthless in the 54th minute when NBP skipper Javed Iqbal was given marching orders for a minor offence.
PTCL grabbed the lead in the ninth minute when Sabzar Ali beat Punjab goalkeeper after receiving a pass on top of the circle. Punjab, a little later, should have levelled the score but Hafeezullah over-dribbled and the opportunity was wasted.
A perfect indirect penalty corner drill resulted in PTCL’s second goal through Akhtar Ali in the 19th minute. In the 32nd minute, Punjab once again wasted a goal scoring opportunity when an unmarked Mohammad Siddique failed to stop the ball with just the goalkeeper to beat.
Punjab finally managed to pull one back in the 43rd minute when Zubair Riaz converted the fourth penalty corner. But PTCL made it 3-1 in the 63rd minute when Arif dived to stop the ball and struck it in the goal in one action. Prior to that, Arif missed an excellent chance when his shot missed the post by yards when he had only the goalkeeper to beat.
PTCL 3 Punjab ‘A’ 1
NBP 6 Police 0
|
|
