KARACHI: A last-gasp penalty by Masood Ahmed helped Pakistan Army to a 2-1 win over Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Wednesday, earning them a quarter-final spot in the NBP Challenge Cup underway in Lahore.

Army went into their final Group ‘B’ match needing a victory to qualify for the last eight of the country’s premier Cup football competition at the expense of Ashraf Sugar Mills (ASM).

Masood ensured that, netting from a penalty a minute from time after KPT had cancelled out Ansar Abbas’ opener in the 29th with a penalty of their own a minute later at the Railways Stadium which was converted by Zahud Ahmed.

Army finished second in Group ‘B’ with five points, behind Pakistan Navy on goal difference and a point ahead of ASM and will face holders Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for a place in the semi-finals.

PAF advanced as Group ‘C’ winners after they beat Wapda 2-0 courtesy goals from Mujahid (14th minute) and Mansoor Khan (32nd) at the Model Town Ground.

Wapda finished level with PAF and third-placed Habib Bank Limited (HBL) on six points. PAF edged both those teams on goal difference but with Wapda and HBL level on goal difference as well, the second-tie breaker rule came into play with the former edging ahead to a quarter-final against Navy courtesy a better head-to-head record.

Wapda had earlier recorded a 3-0 win over HBL who thrashed Pakistan Railways 5-1 with Saeed Ahmed scoring twice at the Faisal Town Ground on Wednesday.

The goal they conceded early on to Railways’ Usman ultimately proved too costly for them as Saeed’s first-half double was followed by second-half goals by Atif, Noman and a Khayal Mohammad penalty for a resounding victory but not enough for a last eight place.

The first two quarter-finals will be played on Thursday with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) facing K-Electric and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) squaring off against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2015

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