LAHORE - SSGC, Wapda and National Bank reached the semi-finals of the Second Chief of Naval Staff All Pakistan Hockey Championship here at the National Hockey Stadium Wednesday.
SSGC and Wapda have qualified from the pool B, while in the pool A, NBP have won all their three matches. For the second slot from pool A, Navy and SNGPL will battle it out among themselves on Thursday.
In the first match of the day, SNGPL go down fighting to National Bank 1-3. National Bank of Pakistan, the national champions with a number of international players at their disposal, secured their third win in as many matches. But they were fully stretched by the young Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited as the match was locked at 1-1 with just nine minutes to go from the final whistle. The experience prevailed in the end as the bankers scored two goals in those last minutes. Match began at a good pace with National Bank having better possession but the SNGPL showed their skills with fast counter attacks. Both had chances but goal eluded both the teams till the half time.
Up and down game quickened in the third quarter. Off a two touch indirect drill off a penalty-corner, Junaid Manzoor put National Bank ahead in the 39th minute. Within five minutes, Dawood equalised with an amazing goal from a very narrow angle, standing very close to the right goal line.
Then in the last quarter, National Bank managed two goals. First on a penalty cornerwhen Bilal Qadir, the injector, put it in on the rebound. A few minutes later, Attique Arshad had a brilliant 20 metre defence splitting run into the circle and Amir Ali standing in the mid circle tapped it into the net.
SSGC routed Police 7-1 in the second match of the day. Sui Southern Gas Company, a fine blend of young senior and junior internationals, faced Police, a motley players assembled for this tournament.
Game went according to the script as the Gasmen marshalled the field almost throughout with well coordinated moves. Open play chances and penalty corners came their way in numbers.
Pakistan's star drag flicker Mubashar Ali stood out with a hat trick off penalty corners. Other four were scored off field attempts. Police created only a few good chances. Their solitary goal came off a penalty corner through Shahbaz.
Navy brushed aside Port Qasim 2-0. Navy, the organisers of this event, were strengthened by the inclusion of Rashid Mahmood, a Pakistan regular since 2010. Rashid had arrived from Holland the day before. He has been playing for the Oranje Rood HC in Hoofdklasse (the highest hockey division in Holland), world's best club competition. First 10 minutes were more or less evenly played.
In the last two minutes of the first quarter, Navy's Shahbaz showing good opportunism scored twice. First, a left side move saw the ball reaching him at the top of the circle. With all the time at his disposal, Shahbaz found the target with a top of the circle hit.
Moments later, he dived to connect a right side cross into the goal. The sailors, who were coming into the event after a two month fitness cum training camp at Abbottabad, remained in control of the proceedings almost throughout. They created quite a few chances but failed to add to their tally when the final hooter sounded.