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| January 26, 2006 | Thursday | Zilhaj 25, 1426 |
Pakistan Steel and Wapda qualify for quarterfinals
KARACHI, Jan 25: Two penalty corner conversions by Kashif Ali helped Pakistan Steel hand a 4-0 defeat to Railways to move into All-Pakistan departmental hockey championship quarterfinals on Wednesday. After remaining goalless in the first half, Pakistan Steel broke the ice with a Mohammad Zubair goal in the 41st minute at Hockey Club of Pakistan.
Kashif hammered home his first in the 50th minute, while a Mohammad Imran strike ten minutes later saw Pakistan Steel leading 3-0. Kashif completed the tally with a short corner conversion two minutes from time.
Wapda also reached last eight stage when they crushed Pakistan Navy 5-0 thanks to two-goal Mohammad Mudassir.
The winners failed to open the scoring for some 25 opening minutes but destroyed sailors with late quick first half goals. They went ahead in the 25th minute through Naveed Iqbal, while Mudassir doubled the lead five minutes later.
Shahid Rabbani made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute before Mudassir got his double a minute later to give a cushion of four goals before going for break.
Gohar Rasool slotted home the fifth on a short corner five minutes before full-time whistle.
Pakistan Steel’s Mohammad Zaheer was yellow carded seconds before time, while Railways Ahmad and Kashif Jawaid got temporary suspension in the 32nd and 62nd minutes.
Powered by an exhilarating Owais Moeed hat trick, National Bank (NBP) bounced back to salvage a 3-3 draw with PIA despite Amir Saleem’s treble for national airlines to become Pool ‘C’ champions on better goal average.
Although the bankers seemed stale and unimpressive against PIA, they rattled the national carrier courtesy rampaging Owais who was the only live wire from the NBP in a match which saw rough play.
The bankers were shocked when they went 2-0 down in the first half, PIA scoring both goals on penalty strokes. Amir Saleem opened the scoring through first penalty stroke in the sixth minute before scoring off another stroke in the 24th minute.
Two goals down, the bankers fought back to reduce the margin when Akhtar Ali’s pass was well connected by Owais from the right past former Pakistan aging goalkeeper Ahmad Alam in the 54th minute.
Amir completed his hat trick with a penalty corner conversion two minutes later but two brilliant goals by Owais turned the tide in favour of bankers. Owais first reduced the margin in the 59th minute and then completed his treble in style with a shot from the edge of the circle past Ahmad.
The goal was first disallowed but later umpire changed his mind and signalled for the goal, sparking a protest from PIA players.
The match saw exchange of hot words in the dying moments as PIA’s Kamran Ashraf jostled NBP’s Adnan Maqsood and then Mohammad Nadeem.
NBP’s Tariq Aziz and Akhtar Ali and PIA’s Yasir Islam, Ali Raza, and Irfan Mahmood were yellow carded.
Two goals each by Mohammad Saboor and Dilawar gave PTCL a comprehensive 6-1 victory over Customs.
Saboor opened the account with a 14th-minute goal, while Saleem Khalid was on target in the 23rd minute before Customs got consolation goal through Sameer Hussain in the 44th minute.
Dilawar netted in the 56th minute followed by Inayat Ullah strike the next minute. Dilawar got his double in the 61st minute, while Saboor three minutes before time.
Thursday’s fixtures (quarterfinals):
PTCL v Army at 9.00am; PAF v Steel at 11.0am; HBL v PIA at 1.30pm; Wapda v NBP at 3.30pm.
Points table (teams, played, won, lost drawn, goals for, goals against, points):
Pool ‘A’
PTCL 3 3 0 0 12 3 9
PAF 3 2 1 0 8 6 6
KESC 3 0 2 1 4 7 1
Customs 3 0 2 1 3 11 1
Pool ‘B’
HBL 3 3 0 0 11 4 9
Wapda 3 2 1 0 11 5 6
Navy 3 0 2 1 3 10 1
Police 3 0 2 1 5 11 1
Pool ‘C’
NBP 3 2 0 1 24 4 7
PIA 3 2 0 1 23 5 7
SSGC 3 1 2 0 14 6 3
HEC 3 0 3 0 0 42 0
Pool ‘D’
Pakistan Steel 3 2 0 1 16 4 7
Army 3 2 0 1 15 6 7
Railways 3 0 3 0 5 12 0
POF 3 0 3 0 4 18 0
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