KARACHI, Sept 9: A brace of goals from Mohammad Atiq led National Bank (NBP) Whites into the semi-finals of the All-Pakistan Shaheed-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan hockey tournament with a 4-1 victory over Pakistan Navy at the Hockey Club of Pakistan on Sunday.

The bankers could have grabbed an early lead had Naeem Akbar not wasted a chance on an indirect drill in the eighth minute. Atiq tested Pakistan Navy goalkeeper Mohammad Iqbal in the 21st minute only to see his effort saved.

After a barren first half, NBP, who looked disturbed at remaining goalless, started making inroads into the second session. But it was Navy who threatened the bankers when Mohammad Usman missed the target from the top of the circle in the 37th minute.

Atiq, however, drew first blood when he finally found the target in the 38th minute. But the sailors posed a real threat when they equalised through Usman whose opportunist strike gave the NBP defence no chance in the 42nd minute.

Now coming into attack mode, the bankers were unlucky when Haseem Khan’s effort closely missed the cage in the 46th minute.

Atiq once again tested Navy’s defence but his try was well saved by Iqbal two minutes later.

Haseem showed lots of promise with his spectacular reverse hit from the top of the semi-circle to grab the second in the 50th minute.

Five minutes later, Usman once again came close to scoring but squandered a good chance to equalise.

The third goal for the bankers came through a fine combined effort when Yasir Shabbir dodged past a defender to feed Haseem who assisted Mohammad Taufeeq in scoring the third in the 63rd minute.

NBP sealed the fate of the match when they were awarded a penalty stroke following an infringement by a Navy defender four minutes before time. Atiq came to do the needful and sounded the backboard with a low push past Iqbal.

Meanwhile, Olympian Kashif Jawwad and Wasif Raza struck three goals each to help the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) qualify for the last-four stage after a facile 9-1 win over minnows Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF).

Kashif, a discarded Pakistan centre-forward, opened up PQA’s account with two goals in the 9th and 11th minutes followed by a POF consolation goal which came through Asif Aslam.

PQA went 4-1 up at the breather when Wasif slammed home in the 15th minute, while Shakeel Ahmad netted a minute before the halftime.

Wasif scored his second in the 43rd minute, Kashif found the net for his third a minute later, while Hanif Shahzad converted a 60th-minute penalty stroke.

Wasif came into action for the third time in the 62nd minute before Imran completed the tally a minute later.

Monday’s fixtures:

Paksitan Navy v KESC at 12.00pm; POF v Karachi at 1.30pm; Steel Mills v Wapda at 3.00pm; PIA v HBL at 4.30pm.