KARACHI, May 20: Kaleemullah proved to be Khan Research Laboratories’ match-winner yet again in the National Challenge Cup.

The prolific striker scored in the 78th minute of the defending champions’ must-win clash against Habib Bank Limited (HBL) on Monday to help his side to a 1-0 victory and secure top spot from Group ‘A’.

After losing their second game to Pak-Afghan Clearing Agency (PACA), KRL needed to beat the bankers to ensure qualification to the quarter-finals.

And after missing a host of chances, Kaleemullah latched on to a corner before dribbling past a defender and hitting an angled shot into the back of the net as KRL topped the group with six points.

Despite the goal, KRL head coach Tariq Lutfi wasn’t too pleased with Kaleemullah’s performance.

“He missed four good chances,” Lutfi told Dawn after the match. “Trying to score all by himself, he missed a host of chances when he could’ve squared the ball to the other players who were in better scoring positions.

“But thankfully we’re through to the last-eight and hopefully we can go on to defend our title.”

KRL will play the runners-up in Group ‘D’ which could be either National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) or Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

The two teams were in action later on Monday to decide which team wins the group and goes on to face PACA in the last-eight.

PACA, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Ashraf Sugar Mills (ASM) which prevented them from finishing top of the group.

Adeel gave ASM the lead on the half hour mark before Shahbaz doubled it two minutes into the second-half.

Naveed added a third in the 53rd minute before Shahbaz made it 4-0 in favour of ASM when he struck five minutes later before Gulfaraz scored a consolation for PACA late on.

PACA and ASM finished level on four points with the former edging ahead on a better goal-difference.

The early game on Monday saw six goals by Omair Ali helping Higher Education Commission (HEC) thrash Bahawalpur District side 6-1 in a match which had no bearing on the outcome of Group ‘D’.In the late match on Sunday night, Pakistan Army defeated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) 2-1 and pip them to the runners-up spot in Group ‘C’.

PIA entered the game a point above Army and a draw would’ve sent them through to a quarter-final against Group ‘B’ winners Wapda.

But after holding them back in the first-half, they conceded a goal two minutes into the second-half when Tanveer Shahid netted.

Zafarullah Javed doubled Army’s lead when he netted in the 82nd minute before Zeeshan Ali pulled one back PIA deep into injury-time but it was too little too late for the airmen as they exited the tournament.

Tuesday’s fixtures:

Quarter-finals: National Youth U-18 v Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC); Pakistan Army v Wapda.