June 12, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1428

KARACHI, June 11: A brilliant hat trick by Ihsanullah propelled PIA into President’s Gold Cup hockey quarter-finals after they sank Pakistan Navy 7-1 at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Monday.

Four-goal Ihsan gave the national carrier a perfect start with a third-minute penalty corner conversion and another short corner strike in the 10th minute before completing his treble in style in the 21st minute.

Yet there was no respite for the sailors as PIA added their fourth three minutes later, this time through Waqas Akbar, and Ihsan slotted home another short corner for his fourth, three minutes before halftime whistle.

Mahmood Ali had his name on to scoresheet six minutes into second period before completing the tally with a 58th-minute strike.

Still struggling to reduce the margin, all Navy could do was to score a consolation goal through Mohammad Noman five minutes before the end.

Shahzad Nasir’s last-gasp match-winner helped Habib Bank edge past PAF 1-0 in a match that saw two players from the winning side receive temporary suspension.

First Rashid Imran was yellow-carded with the game barely five minutes old, and then Mohammad Irfan got the yellow card three minutes before time. Shahzad eventually rescued with the decider a minute before full time.

Two goals each by Mohammad Yasin and Mohammad Imran gave Steel Mills a convincing 6-0 victory over minnows Sindh.

Starting with a Yasin goal in the seventh minute, Steel Mills added two more before the second half. Imran was on target a minute after Yasin’s strike and completed his double in the 14th minute to give his side an unassailable lead.

Naveed Akram found the cage when he connected an Ishtiaq Ahmad hit in the 40th minute. The winners added yet another quick goal two minutes later through Imran Malik.

Yasin got his double to finish off the proceedings when he rounded off Sindh goalkeeper Fahad Afridi from the left in the 46th minute.

Two attempts by Mudassir brought Sindh close to scoring, but they failed to reduce the margin. Mudassir’s individual try missed the target from close, while his second attack seconds later was thwarted by Steel Mills’ goalkeeper Waseem Ahmad.

A three-touch move involving Mudassir and Adeeb Alam saw Uzair squander the chance in the 59th minute although he was perfectly positioned in front of the goalmouth. Uzair wasted yet another opportunity barely 60 seconds later through a reverse flick.

Four-goal Imran Khan was the pick of the star-studded Wapda side, who gave Balochistan a hockey lesson with a mammoth 14-1 thrashing.

Apart from Imran, Waqas Sharif slammed thrice, Mohammaf Irfan netted two, while Rana Jawaid, Rehan Butt, Mohammad Khalid, Mohammad Mudassir, and Rana Asif scored one goal apiece.

Balochistan scored their solitary goal through Khurram Shahzad in the 59th minute.

Tuesday’s fixtures:

KESC v Pakistan Navy at 3.00pm; National Bank v Steel Mills at 5.00pm.