LAHORE, Aug 27: PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, Army and National Bank of Pakistan cruised into the semi-finals of the National Junior Hockey Championship at the National Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.

PIA thrashed Police 8-1 while Pak Steel beat NWFP Whites 3-1 in the morning session to enter the last eight. In the afternoon Army earned a slim 1-0 win against Navy while NBP thrashed Railways 3-0.

In the most closely contested quarter-final, Army took the lead in the 7th minute against Navy through Qaiser Bashir’s indirect penalty corner conversion. Army led 1-0 at half time. Even exchanges were fought in the second period but despite Army earned three penalty corners and Navy four, both the teams failed to crack the nut in the second session of play.

NBP’s victory against Railways came through Mohammad Attique’s two goals by converting penalty corners. He struck in the 21st and 40th minutes. NBP’s skipper Haseem Khan fired a goal in the 15th minute. PIA were offensive against Police and led 4-1 at half time. Olympian Mohammad Zubair slotted a hat-trick scoring three goals. He sounded the board in the 4th, 21st, 43rd minutes. Zubair’s 4th minute goal was equalized by Police’s striker Mudassar in the 14th minute. But PIA unleashed forays hammering three goals within seven minutes. Shahbaz netted a field goal in the 20th minute and soon after Zubair stretched the lead from a penalty corner melee while two minutes later Olympian Shafqat Rasool put the score 4-1 with a field attempt.

After the resumption, PIA upheld their attacking game as Police did blunder in the defensive area allowing the national carrier to score four more. Azlan Khan (39th minute), Muhammad Zubair (43rd minute, 50th minute) and Nasir Shahzad (47th minute), Kashif Ali (58th) stole the show.

Pak Steel had to work hard to overcome a determined NWFP Whites 3-1 after leading 2-1 at half time.

Defender Amir Zia shot Steel into lead in the 8th minute from a penalty corner conversion. But the NWFP side recovered as the two sides were on even keel in the 14th minute when Noman Pervez scored from a fine field attempt. Two minutes later NWFP conceded a goal when Steel’s striker Abdul Rehman slammed a field goal and Steel led 2-1 at half time.

Five minutes into the second half, Steel added their third goal through Irfan Ali but thereafter NWFP put up a resolute defense and denied Steelmen for further breakthrough despite they had 10 penalty corners.

In the semi-finals, PIA will meet Pak Steel while NBP will lock horn with Army on Thursday. The final will be played on Sunday.