KARACHI: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) picked up their first victory and first points of the season when they thrashed previously-perfect Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 4-0 in their Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) match on Tuesday.

NBP head-coach Nasir Ismail had been bemoaning his side’s lack of killer instinct in front of goal as they opened their PPFL campaign with three straight defeats but Mohammad Asif scored all four goals at the Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah Stadium to get his side off the mark in the points table.

KPT, who lead the fledgling table with nine points, had won 2-0 against NBP in their previous fixture at home but they were ripped apart by Nasir’s side in the reverse fixture.

Asif opened the scoring in the 18th minute before doubling his side’s advantage ten minutes later. He completed his hat-trick in the 67th before firing in his fourth 13 minutes later.

Meanwhile, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) picked up their second straight win while condemning K-Electric to their second successive defeat when they won 2-1 at the Korangi Baloch Stadium.

Having opened their season with a 1-0 win over NBP, last season’s runners-up K-Electric have struggled since and despite the return of winger Mohammad Riaz, who scored for them on Tuesday, they remain on three points after three games.

In a fast start, Zahid Majeed scored just 50 seconds in to give PIA the lead with Zeeshan Ali adding their second midway through the first-half.

Riaz, who returned from the Asian Games in Incheon where Pakistan lost both their group matches, pulled one back in the 51st but K-Electric could not find the leveller.

Following a draw and a defeat in their opening two games, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) kick started their campaign with a 4-0 demolition of Railways at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.

Mansoor Junior scored a brace, with his goals in the 24th and 59th minutes coming either side of Arif Nawaz’s 47th-minute goal. Irfan Junior completed the rout in the 73rd.

The final game of the first phase of the PPFL will be played at the KMC Stadium on Wednesday with Muslim FC playing Afghan FC. The league will then go on an 11-day break before resuming on Oct 12.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014