KARACHI, Jan 20: Shahbaz saved Pakistan Customs’ blushes with a last-gasp equaliser in a 1-1 draw with KESC in the All-Pakistan departmental hockey championship at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Friday.

The match, which started slowly and mostly confined to the midfield, saw KESC dominating the first half, while Customs were guilty of missing several chances. Discarded Pakistan striker, Sameer Hussain of Customs, missed at least three easy openings despite slack marking by KESC defender.

After battling for the opening goal for the entire first session, KESC went ahead through a Yasir Dilawar effort on a penalty corner that was completed after the whistle for break.

Haroon of Customs was in a perfect position to equalise in the 65th minute but wasted the opportunity. Customs wasted another opportunity to level the scores two minutes later on a short corner but were denied by KESC goalkeeper Waseem Ahmad.

After wasting several openings in the second period, Customs were finally able to restore parity two minutes from time when Shahbaz scooped the ball over Waseem to help his side share points.

Wapda scored twice in the first half to outplay Police 3-1.

Waqas Sharif opened the scoring for the winners in the 24th minute while Zakirullah doubled the lead five minutes later. Wapda were reduced to ten men when Rana Jawaid got temporary suspension in the 31st minute.

Policemen netted the solitary goal through a penalty stroke converted by Tariq Mahmood in the 41st minute. A 47th-minute strike by Wapda’s Mohammad Mudassir sealed the fate of the match.

Wapda once again were playing with ten players when Mudassir was yellow carded in the 66th minute.

Shahzad Nasir struck twice in PTCL’s 3-1 triumph over PAF.

Opening the game with a ninth-minute goal, Shahzad got his double in the 40th minute. Aqeel Hussain completed the tally for PTCL in the 47th minute.

PAF scored the consolation goal through Kashif Yaqoob three minutes before final whistle.

Three strikes by Mohammad Imran and two by Asif Jahangir helped Army pulverise Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) 6-1.

The soldiers started their offence with an Imran goal in the second minute of the game. Mohammad Arshad was on target for Army in the 25th minute, while Imran got his double in the 43rd minute.

Asif slotted home the fourth in the 51st minute before Imran grabbed his third ten minutes later. Asif completed the tally with a 64th-minute raid.

Zeeshan’s 66th-minute goal was the consolation for the POF.

Saturday’s fixtures:

HBL v Police at 10.00am; Army v Pakistan Steel at 12.00pm; PIA v Higher Education Commission at 2.00pm; NBP v SSGC at 4.00pm.