KARACHI: Pakistan Television (PTV) became the first team to reach the second round of the departmental-leg of the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) on Thursday after a 1-0 win over Bhatti United for their second straight victory in Group ‘G’.

Wali’s 51st-minute strike at the FAME Football Club ground in Lahore meant PTV win their group and reach the mini-league Group 2 which will also feature winners from groups ‘B’, ‘D’ and ‘F’.

The Group 2 toppers will then face the winners of the other mini-league group to decide which team is promoted to the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL). Group 1 will see winners from groups ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘E’ slug it out for a berth in the departmental-leg final.

In Group ‘B’, Falcon Company were eliminated after their goalless draw with Pakistan Steel here at the Naval Complex.

The stalemate followed Falcon Company’s 2-1 defeat to Pakistan Navy in their opening game and left Pakistan Steel needing victory over the seamen in their last group game on Saturday to have any chance of advancing from the group.

The most interesting scenario heading into the final round of matches is seen in Group ‘F’ following Ashraf Sugar Mills’ (ASM) 2-1 win over Pakistan Paper Works Department (PPWD).

Faiz Mohammad opened the scoring in the 23rdminute here at the KMC Stadium but PPWD levelled ten minutes later through Sajid Hussain’s effort. Imran Ali secured ASM’s win with a goal two minutes past the hour mark.

The defeat followed PPWD’s 1-0 win over Pakistan Police in their opening game and with Police facing ASM in their final group game, goal difference — most importantly, goals scored — might come into play to decide which team goes through from the section.

Meanwhile, Fata’s Darra Tigers put one foot into the preliminary round of the club-leg following their 2-0 victory over Pilot FC Mirpur, who were eliminated.

Iftikhar scored in either half — opening the scoring in the 20th and doubling his tally in the 67th — at the Jinnah Sports Complex in Islamabad to put Darra Tigers on four points from two games following their goalless draw with Islamabad’s Huma FC in their opening game.

Huma FC face Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Pilot FC in the final game of the qualifying round and need to win by a three-goal margin to reach the group stage of the club-leg.

A 2-0 win for Huma FC will lead to a coin-toss to decide which team from them or Darra Tigers advances to the group stages, as per FIFA rules.

The club-leg will see three three-team groups in the first stage with each of the group winners then playing a mini-league to decide which team is promoted to the PPFL.

The winner of that match will also play the departmental-leg winners for the PFFL title.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2014