HBL 3 AGQ 0

KARACHI, Oct 29: Giant-killers Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PMTF) finally bowed out after favourites Wapda thrashed them 5-1 in the President PFF Cup football championship quarterfinals Tuesday at the People’s Sports Complex.

HBL, buoyed after an upset 4-3 penalty shootout victory over defending champions Pakistan Army in the knock-out stage, trounced another dark horse Agha Gas Quetta 3-0 to advance into the semifinals.

First-timers PMTF, though, started with some fine moves through strikers Karim Bukhsh, Mohammad Moosa, and Ghulam Mustafa but failed to translate them into goals.

National champions Wapda gave an early shock to their rivals with an eighth minute Khuda Bukhsh goal which came after a perfect pass from Zulfiqar Ahmad.

But Wapda, who could have doubled their lead after a foul by PMTF player, were left ruing when they missed a 13th-minute penalty kick as Khuda Bukhsh’s drive shook the bar.

PMTF almost snatched the equaliser but Ghulam Mustafa wasted the chance early in the first half.

Two minutes into the second half Zulfiqar slammed home the second, while PMTF’s hard work paid in the 56th minute which saw Liaquat Ali reduce the margin off a Moosa pass.

Wapda tore PMTF apart with three more goals, the third coming after just two minutes through Zakir Hussain who got his second on 74 minutes.

PMTF squandered at least three goal-scoring opportunities before Wapda’s Mohammad Niaz completed the rout with barely a minute from full time.

HBL’s Shahid Saleem, Mohammad Ayub and Shakir Hussain raided right from the start which bore fruit in the 29th when Shakir hammered home after being fed by Pervaiz Ahmad.

AGQ, who forced fancied PIA crash out of the tournament after a 3-1 triumph in the knock-out stage, could not repeat the performance against bankers who made it 2-0 exactly ten minutes later.

The pair of Ayub and Shahid again combined to got the second. Ayub released an accurate pass for Shahid whose shot landed on target.

The bankers continued their dominance yet into the second session and wrapped up the proceedings through Shahid who scored the third after fed by Zafar Majeed in the 84th minute.

Wednesday’s fixtures: