KARACHI: “Great teams go in cycles,” Manchester United’s legendary manager Alex Ferguson said after he saw his side destroyed by Barcelona in the 2011 UEFA Champions League final, “... and at this moment, they [Barca] are at the peak in this cycle of their team.”

A far cry from the glamour of Europe’s premier club competition, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) have seemingly hit rock-bottom in the current cycle of their team although the deposed three-time Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) champions did salvage some pride following a disastrous season when they held their successors to the throne, K-Electric to a 1-1 draw to end in sixth place on Wednesday.

The draw here at the KPT Stadium meant they finished on 31 points from 22 matches, 17 points behind K-Electric who won their maiden title this season. But at least the gap on the field wasn’t that great.

A feisty match, as games between KRL and K-Electric always are, saw the new champions take the lead through a Mohammad Rasool penalty on 52 minutes but Murtuza Hussain’s leveller barely 10 minutes later saw Tariq Lutfi’s side grab a share of the spoils and prevented K-Electric from adding insult to injury.

“We need support from our management to hire new players for the next season,” KRL manager Ayaz Butt told Dawn as he reflected on a season in which his side played below expectations.

“Football in the country is going to another level and we need to thrash out expensive contracts to retain players and sign players to restore our lost glory,” added Butt, who saw five key players leave the club since last season when they won their third successive PPFL title and a fourth overall.

Ace striker Kaleemullah, midfield dynamo Saddam Hussain and winger Mohammad Adil left for Kyrgyz giants FC Dordoi while they also saw midfielder Bilawal-ur-Rehman and attacker Saadullah joined second-division side Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on better deals.

Adding to the departures was the fact that the team was offset by injuries to key defenders Samar Ishaq and Kamran Khan. Samar missed the season while Kamran got injured in the crucial last stages of the league.

“We need to improve in defence and add more firepower in attack to challenge for the title next season,” Butt said after the match on Wednesday.

Murutza was drafted in as cover for Pakistan captain Kaleem and although he’s weighed in with goals for KRL, he needs more experience at the top level and the lack of a potent finisher meant the difference between them and the title.

In Rasool, K-Electric definitely had the presence of a top striker upfront and after a goalless first half on Wednesday he got his league-leading 23rd goal of the season after Nigerian striker Oludeyi Abayomi Sunday was fouled inside the box.

Rasool, though, had to take the spot-kick twice. His first was cancelled for an infringement inside the box but he held his nerve with his season, sending the KRL goalkeeper the wrong way to give K-Electric the lead.

“It feels great to be the top-scorer this year,” Rasool said afterwards. “I’ve worked a lot this season and the addition of the Nigerians [Sunday and Wilson] has helped a lot as they are good at creating chances.”

MEMBERS of triumphant K-Electric team celebrate with the trophy.

Although Rasool’s goals stand out, K-Electric’s season saw goals scattered for them all across the pitch with winger Mohammad Riaz, Sunday, captain Mohammad Essa and Abdul Rehman all chipping in with crucial goals.

KRL have found goals hard to come by but Murtuza made no mistake just past the hour mark, when he finished a spectacular team move to score past Ghulam Nabi although the K-Electric keeper could’ve done better.

Both teams had their chances to win it later on with Mehmood Khan’s dipping shot going narrowly wide for KRL while Wilson hit the cross-bar with an arrowing shot and Essa’s free-kick going just over for K-Electric.

None of the K-Electric players, though, were given the Player of the Season award, with Mohammad Mujahid and Mansoor Khan of third-placed Pakistan Air Force (PAF) sharing the award while Nabi was pipped to the best gloveman award by Wapda’s Muzzammil Hussain.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were handed the fair-play award and although K-Electric only saw Rasool pick his trophy, it didn’t matter to them as they revelled lifting the big prize as clouds gathered with dusk approaching on a blustery Karachi evening.

Final standings

(Tabulated under: played, won, drawn, lost, goal difference, points):

K-Electric 22 15 3 4 23 48 Pakistan Army 22 13 6 3 23 45 Pakistan Air Force 22 12 6 4 24 42 Pakistan International Airlines 22 11 5 6 8 38 Wapda 22 10 6 6 17 36 Khan Research Laboratories 22 8 7 7 3 31 National Bank of Pakistan 22 8 6 8 4 30 Muslim FC 22 8 5 9 0 29 Karachi Port Trust 22 9 2 11 -9 29 Afghan FC 22 6 5 11 -5 23 Pakistan Railways 22 1 7 14 -32 10 Baloch FC Quetta 22 0 4 18 -54 4

*Champions enter AFC Cup playoffs; Bottom two teams are relegated.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2015

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