LAHORE, Nov 8: Karachi Port Trust (KPT) overwhelmed Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) 2-1 in Pakistan Premier Football League’s (PPFL) 133rd match here at Garhi Shahue’s Railway Stadium on Saturday.
The win lifted KPT back to second berth after leaders Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), who have 37 points.
KPT had the ball in the net through stopper Aurangzeb off skipper Naseer Ahmed but A.R. Fayyaz Siddiqui flagged him off side. KPT continued their onslaught, taking the sixth minute lead through winger Abdul Rehman who caught midfielder Asif’s angular ball and fired it in with a lovely drive.
KPT’s midfielders proved too good for their rivals’ midfield line up and doubled the margin with one of the most fascinating goals in the 33rd minute.
Veteran left winger Akhtar Mamul changed the game’s situation by curling the ball from the left to right wing. International striker Shahid Saleem took it on his right foot and slammed it over the bemused keeper Ahmed Shahzad and into the far corner from the narrowest of angles. Salim could have scored another in the 42nd minute but his header of Rehman’s cross went wide off the left post. KPT led 2-0 at interval.
The match was also watched by Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Course Conductor Erich Rutemoller (Germany), PFF Coordinator Imtiaz Butt and 29 participants of the IOC Solidarity Technical Course, who were in the stadia to analyse the match for different topics.
PEL forced two chances in the 8th and 12th minutes but Muzaffar saw his drive saved by keeper Sajid while skipper Ijaz Sarfraz found an angle to beat Sajid. They, however, pulled one back in the 58th minute when KPT failed to clear the ball following a corner and the Pakpattan-born midfielder Mohammad Awais fired it in with a stinging 25-metre drive giving Sajid no chance whatsoever. Awais became the 117th goal-getter of the event but failed to avoid his team from defeat who collected 21 points from 18 matches while KPT pocketed 35 points from their 21 encounters.
Sunday’s fixture: Wapda v Karachi Electric Supply Corporation at Railway Stadium, Lahore; Punjab Medical College v Afghan FC at PMC Ground, Faisalabad. Matches kick off at 2.30pm.—Agencies