Lahore, 9 November: Pakistan Navy obstructed WAPDA’s run of 16 wins with sensational 1-0 win at Railway Stadium, to jump to fifth place in Pakistan Premier Football League with 31 points after WAPDA 50, Army 39, KRL 33 and KESC 31. Meanwhile, Young Blood FC earned their 11th point when they drew 2-2 with PAF at Rai Ali Nawaz Stadium, Sahiwal. It were 20th matches for all four teams in the marathon League.
It proved to be the first-half high-point for the visitors under Khalid Zubair. His boys won the hearts of their officials with Nasir Hussain, Rizwan Tanoli and Nomi Martin Gill in outstanding touch. Their double SAF Games gold medallist Muhammad Shahzad made fine saves, palming away Qamar Zaman’s curling effort and scrambling across goal to divert Imran Niazi’s goal-bound back-post header after their full Abdul Haq, hails from Faisalabad, opened the scoring in the ninth minute, pouncing on rebound when keeper Abdul Aziz blocked Bilal Afridi drive.
Zubair was not to threaten the half-time tea-cups, but his side certainly emerged from the dressing room with a spring in their collective step and they were the better side in an almost-equally forgettable second half. Within 60 seconds of the restart, Asif Bakhsh headed across goal and Aziz, little more than six yards out, forced Nasir Hussain into the best save of the match.
Navy then had two penalty claims turned down. Nomi Martin’s tumble was wildly optimistic, though Jehangir’s decision to wave play on as Naveed Akram, jumping with arms aloft, appeared to be struck on the hand was less clear cut. And though the visiting side gradually grew in confidence and competence — Martin twice stabbed shots at goal from promising positions, while Aziz dragged a late half-chance well wide — they failed to find their second goal but still Abdul Haq provided them three points as Pakistan Navy earned four of the possible six points between two. The first leg was ened 0-0 between two on 27 October.
The Blood-PAF thriller saw three goals in the first half and it was left to ace striker Asim Mansoor to snatch leveler in the 52nd minute as match ended 2-2. The airmen were in happy mood when they were 2-0 up with goals by midfielder Arif Nawaz and striker Muhammad Zeeshan in the 18th and 20th minute respectively. Local player of Sahiwal, Zain Khalid reduced the deficit in the 37th minute and it was left to another Sahiwal-based Asim Mansoor to assure one point each for both team.
From the desk of :
PPFL Match Commissioner Mian Rizwan Ali
(0300-9450683)
Pakistan Premier Football League
……………..…SUMMARISED RESULT
Tuesday 9 November Fixture
WAPDA 0
Navy 1 ( Abdul Haq 9)
(Railway Stadium, Lahore)
Young Blood FC 2 ( Zain Khalid 37, Asim Mansoor 52)
PAF 2 ( Arif Nawaz 18, Muhammad Zeeshan 20)
(Rai Ali Nawaz Stadium, Sahiwal)
Wednesday 10 November Fixture:
PEL v KRL (Model Town Football Ground, Lahore, 2.30 PM)
PMC Athletico FC v ARMY (PMC Football Ground, Faisalabad, 2.30 PM)
KESC v Baloch FC, Nushki(CDGK Stadium, Karachi 3 PM)
NBP v Afghan FC (Korangi Baloch Stadium, Sharafi, Karachi 3 PM)
HBL v SSGC (Peoples Sports Complex, Karachi, 3 PM)
Pakistan Premier Football League
………POINTS TABLE after 149 Encounters
WAPDA 20 16 2 2 48 13 50
Army 19 12 3 4 27 12 39
KRL 19 9 6 4 21 13 33
KESC 18 9 4 5 34 21 31
Navy 20 8 7 5 24 18 31
PIA 17 8 6 3 23 14 30
KPT 17 9 3 5 32 28 30
PAF 20 8 5 7 19 18 29
Afghan FC 19 8 4 7 26 22 28
PEL 19 8 3 8 27 28 27
Baloch FC 19 5 8 6 20 23 23
NBP 17 4 7 6 19 27 19
PMC 19 3 5 11 13 26 14
Young Blood 20 2 5 13 15 40 11
SSGC 18 2 2 14 17 46 8
HBL 17 1 4 12 8 24 7