KARACHI: With head-coach Tariq Lutfi back on the bench, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) clipped high-flying Wapda’s wings with a 2-0 victory in the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL).

Lutfi had missed the opening nine games of the three-time defending champions due to his commitments with the national women’s team for the SAFF Women’s Championship but his return on Saturday put KRL back in the title race after they had made a stuttering start to their title defence.

Wapda went into the game on the back of five straight wins but in a physical game at the Railways Football Stadium in Lahore, fell behind in the 37th minute.

A handball inside the penalty box saw KRL being awarded a penalty and Murtuza Hussain made no mistake with the spot-kick.

The second goal, from another set-piece, was a bit farcical.

Naveed Ahmed’s free-kick in the 83rd minute hit a Wapda player on the hand and although the referee had blown the whistle, he awarded KRL a goal when the ball went into the net.

“It’s still early days for us and we’ll see what we can salvage from the rest of the season,” Lutfi, whose side lost five key players since last season, told Dawn.

Despite the departures of attackers Kaleemullah and Mohammad Adil, as well as midfield dynamo Saddam Hussain to Kyrgyz giants FC Dordoi, KRL moved to sixth with 17 points from 10 matches.

They’re two points behind Wapda who have played a game more and 12 behind league leaders Pakistan Army, who have 29 points after 14 games.

Meanwhile, K-Electric moved up to second after a 2-0 win over Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the Faisal Town football ground in Lahore.

Two goals in the space of six first-half minutes saw last season’s runners-up coast to victory.

Mohammad Riaz opened the scoring in the 20th minute with Mohammad Rasool adding their second as they moved to 23 points from 12 games.

PIA, who also have a same number of points — albeit from 13 matches, trail them on goal difference with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in fourth with 21 points from 12 games.

HEARTBREAK FOR HBL

Elsewhere, in action in the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL), Habib Bank Limited (HBL) suffered a body blow in their bid to return to the PPFL on the first time of asking.

Relegated last season, HBL went into their final Group ‘A’ game of the departmental-leg against Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) needing a win to advance to the next round but lost on 5-4 penalties following a 1-1 draw.

Hassan give HBL the lead a minute before half-time here at the Korangi Baloch Stadium but GPA levelled in the 70th through Nasim and with both teams sharing identical records, penalties were used to decide which team went through to the next round of the departmental-leg.

GPA will face Pak-Afghan Clearing Agency (PACA) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the Group 1 mini-league in the next round.

PACA, who like HBL were relegated from the PPFL last season, won Group ‘C’ with a 1-0 win over Karachi United; Iftikhar Khan’s 75th-minute goal proving to be the difference here at the KMC Stadium.

HEC took top spot in Group ‘E’ with a 1-0 win over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) at the Model Town Football Academy Ground in Lahore with Ali Raza scoring the winner in the 63rd minute.

The winners of the Group 1 mini-league will then face the winners of Group 2 — which will see the toppers from groups ‘B’, ‘D’, ‘F’ and ‘G’ fighting it out — to decide which team is promoted to the PPFL next season.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2014