KARACHI, Aug 10: Steel Mills crushed star-studded Habib Bank (HBL) 5-2 to move into All-Pakistan Governor’s Gold Cup hockey semifinals at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Wednesday.

Fielding an inexperienced side, Steel Mills shocked the bankers having Olympians and internationals, when Rashid Imran hammered the first in the 13th minute and Naseer Ahmad doubled the lead ten minutes before halftime.

HBL regrouped after the break to reduce the margin through Mohammad Khalid two minutes into second session and pulled the leveller on a penalty stroke converted by Kashif Jawwad.

Steel Mills were not impressed and again went 3-2 ahead with Mohammad Imran netting in the 45th minute.

The winners increased the lead, Kashif Ali sounding the backboard on stroke in the 59th minute.

The bankers could not reply any more as Waqas Akbar completed the tally in the 62nd minute.

Sohail Abbas’s hat trick for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) went in vain as PIA advanced into the last four with a 5-3 triumph in the second quarterfinal.

Although retired Pakistan penalty corner specialist Sohail scored a hat trick, he was not that impressive as his achievement suggested.

SSGC were awarded no less than eight short corners of which Sohail could score only three times against the local outfit.

While SSGC were far from impressive despite Sohail’s presence, PIA opened the account on a short corner conversion through Rahim Khan in the second minute, while Mohammad Irfan doubled the lead on the second penalty corner with a low push in the 13th minute.

There was no stopping for national carriers as they netted their third when Kamran Ashraf found the target in the 20th minute before Imran grabbed the fourth nine minutes later.

PIA could have gone 5-0 ahead but Mukhtar’s try was disallowed as umpire ruled the hit too dangerous in the 37th minute.

It was in the 50th minute that SSGC managed to reduce the margin through Sohail. Shabbir had a chance two minutes later but was kept at bay by PIA goalkeeper Ahmad Alam who also stopped a Sohail push a minute later.

While SSGC’s weak forward-line could not pose a serious threat to opposition, PIA maintained their rhythm and scored their fifth through Mahmood Ali in the 66th minute.

SSGC struggled as the fulltime loomed and Sohail found the cage in the 67th minute and then completed his treble on a short corner taken after the final whistle but his efforts were too late.

Thursday’s fixtures
(quarterfinals):

Customs v PTCL at 3.00pm; NBP v Navy at 5.00pm.