KARACHI: Baloch FC Quetta held three-time defending champions Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) to a goalless stalemate but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from being the first team to be relegated from this season’s Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) on Sunday.

The draw here at the Dr Mohammad Ali Shah Stadium saw the winless bottom side move to four points from 18 games but Baloch FC cannot catch Afghan FC, in tenth place, with four matches remaining of the season.

Afghan FC lie a place above the drop zone with 17 points from 18 games but they are still not assured of safety with Pakistan Railways, another promoted side like Baloch FC, occupying the last relegation place on 10 points from 17 games.

The two teams to be promoted to the PPFL next season are Pakistan Navy and Baloch FC Noushki.

The result, meanwhile, hit KRL hopes of at least a podium finish. The champions have been below their standard in recent seasons and are seventh with 25 points from 16 games, 11 behind league leaders Pakistan Army (18 matches) and 10 adrift of second-placed K-Electric (16).

“These are two points dropped for us,” KRL head coach Tariq Lutfi told Dawn after the match. “It is a bad result for us.

“We are hoping to finish the season in the top-three and it would be a great achievement for us if we would be able to do that despite losing several key players [in the off-season].”

KRL saw striker Kaleemullah, winger Mohammad Adil and midfield dynamo Saddam Hussain depart for Kyrgyz giants FC Dordoi while another two players Bilawal-ur-Rehman and Saadullah joined second-division Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

In the current scenario, K-Electric are primed to win their maiden PPFL title as they have two games in hand over Army.

Hasan Baloch’s side can take the sole lead of the PPFL on Monday when they face Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Monda y but the K-Electric coach is cautious over predicting the outcome of the title race too early.

“In the last few years, we’ve been close and then lost crucial games,” he told Dawn on Saturday. “We need to win four of our last six games to be sure. I hope we don’t slip up at this critical juncture.”In Monday’s other fixture, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) face Railways at the Korangi Baloch Stadium.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2014