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| September 12, 2005 | Monday | Sha’aban 7, 1426 |
Shan-e-Punjab fight back, beat Baloch Lions
KARACHI, Sept 11: Arshad’s winner helped Shan-e-Punjab bounce back from two goals down to register a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Baloch Lions in the Super Hockey League at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Sunday. Lions shocked their superior opposition with an 18th-minute brilliant strike by Shabbir Ahmad who scooped over bewildered Shan-e-Punjab goalkeeper Salman Akbar while defence was beaten.
While Shakeel Abbasi could not find the target, he was instrumental in second goal for Lions when he squared a perfect pass from right to see Shabbir rifling home with a full-blooded hit in the 22nd minute.
Two minutes later, Shabbir, declared Player-of-the-Match, was again anticipating when Shakeel tested Akbar but Indian import Sandeep Singh for Shah-e-Punjab cleared timely to defuse tensions.
Shan-e-Punjab came close to scoring but Malik Shafqat’s effort on an indirect drill was checked by Lions defender, while Shafqat Rasool missed a chance two minutes later.
The winners were unlucky when Shafqat Rasool’s blistering angular hit from almost the top of the circle crossed the backline after rattling the right post in the dying moments of the second quarter.
Shan-e-Punjab eventually reduced the margin when Inayatullah deceived Lions goalkeeper Adrian D’ Souza before tapping the ball into the net from close range in the 39th minute.
Sandeep, India’s top penalty corner who arrived couple of days late for league, was not successful despite five short corners, his low blistering drag-flick went off target in the 45th minute.
But it was Sandeep’s Indian team-mate D’ Souza whose gallant dash a minute later unnerved the short corner specialist.
Shan-e-Punjab put the match on an even keel in the 52nd minute when Mohammad Saqlain, facing probe over indiscipline during a European tour, converted a penalty stroke.
The two sides frequently changed ends with lightning counter-attacks in the fourth quarter, especially Lions who were pressing hard to break the deadlock putting immense pressure.
Arshad broke the stalemate in the 63rd minute in a counter-attack when he cashed in on slack defence to bang the backboard with a ferocious hit past D’ Souza.
Lions were not impressed with the third goal as they mounted pressure, Kashif Yaqoob testing Salman with a reverse flick that hit the keeper instead of target in the dying minutes of the game.
Although Lions earned their sixth penalty corner which was completed after the final hooter, the game ended with a 3-2 scoreline as the push was too weak and Shah-e-Punjab defenders cleared the ball outside the circle.
Sindh Qalanadars outplayed Frontier Falcons 3-1 in the second match of the evening.
Shabbir Hussain opened the account for Qalandars in the seventh minute followed by a Kashif Jawwad goal in the 18th minute.
Falcons got their solitary goal when Kashif slotted home past aging Qalandars goalkeeper Ahmad Alam in the 43rd minute.
Mohammad Zubair completed the tally in the 52nd minute.
On late Saturday night, Tariq Aziz equaliser helped Shan-e-Punjab edge past Northern Cavaliers 5-4 in a match marred by an hour delay because of mismanagement by the organizers.
The match was played after one-hour delay because of power failure. The match, scheduled at 9.30pm under floodlights, could not start before 10.30pm as there was no proper alternative arrangement for restoring electricity.
Cavaliers netted the first through Mahmood Ali in the fourth minute followed by a Mohammad Nadeem strike two minutes later.
Mohammad Saqlain reduced the margin for Shan-e-Punjab in the 14th minute while Shafqat Rasool grabbed the equaliser in the 17th minute.
Mahmood got his double in the 23rd minute while Sandeep restored parity for Shan-e-Punjab three minutes later.
Rehan Butt again took Cavaliers ahead in the 30th minute before Sandeep equalised two minutes later. Tariq netted the winner in the 47th minute.
Monday’s fixtures: Baloch Lions v Capital Dynamos at 6.30pm; Frontier Falcons v Sindh Qalandars at 9.30pm.
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