ABBOTTABAD: Hosts Abbo­t­tabad, Mardan, Lower Dir and Bannu made the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inter-Region U-19 Boys Hockey Championship semi-finals at the Abbottabad Hockey Stadium on Monday.

Lower Dir in their quarter-final stunned defending champions Peshawar 6-5. The match was decided on shoot-out.

The game was tied 2-2 in regulation time with Samiullah scoring a brace for Peshawar while Adeel and Khalid contributing a goal each for Lower Dir.

In the shootout, Lower Dir converted four out of five attempts while Peshawar scored on three occasions.

Earlier in the first quarter-final, Mardan defeated Nowshera 3-1. Mardan took lead in the 22nd minute through right winger Jawad Ali. Nowshera levelled when Salim netted a fine goal in a field attempt. The scoreline was 1-1 at half-time.

Mardan dominated the proceedings in the second session. They scored two field goals in the 40th and 51st minute through centre-forward Saifullah and left winger Ajmal.

In the second quarter-final, Bannu outplayed Dera Ismail Khan 6-1.

For Bannu, Salman scored two goals while Rehman, Fahad, Zakir and Amir recorded a goal each. Akbar Zaman earned some consolation for Dera Ismail Khan in the dying moments.

In the fourth quarter-final, Abbottabad outclassed Swat 5-1.

Mardan face Lower Dir in the first semi-final and Abbottabad take on Bannu in the other last-four match.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play