30-Jan-2012
THE NEWS
THE NEWS CORRESPONDENT
KARACHI: Fullback Mohammad Atiq scored a hat-trick as defending champions National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) ripped apart Port Qasim (PQ) 7-1 on Sunday in their 59th National Hockey Championship match here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP).
PQ’s goalkeeper was the culprit in five out of seven goals they conceded as he looked horrendous, conceding two goals between his legs and caught napping out of place in the other three.
Yasir Shabbir, who was outstanding throughout the match, drew first blood for the bankers, scoring a scintillating goal from the right in the 4th minute. NBP raised their game after the early advantage and the tie looked a match between the pros and novice throughout first period.
NBP received a penalty corner in the 11th minute and the big frame of Mohammad Atiq made his presence felt with a thunderous drag flick which rattled the net. Seven minutes later Atiq was again in the limelight by scoring in a similar fashion. Instantly PQ broke and skipper Haseem Khan tried an audacious reverse flick which missed the target with a whisker. NBP went into the break 3-0.
After resumption, PQ looked a different side as they started pressing hard, but were caught playing high up the pitch and Mohammad Tousiq made them pay on 39th minute.
PQ did not backtrack and their courage paid dividends when Haseem scored with an exquisite chip to beat on-rushing NBP goalie three minutes later which brought rapturous applaud from a scarce crowd. Ali Shah restored NBP’s four-goal advantage on 48th minute while Atiq completed his hat-trick six minutes later on a penalty corner. Arsalan Qadir further rubbed salt on PQ’s wounds by scoring in the last minute.
Meanwhile, forward Shabbir Ahmed Khan showed master-class in front of the goal, bagging a hat-trick to lead SSGC to a 4-0 win against PAF and giving selectors a headache to consider him for attacking position in the national lineup. PIA maintained their fine run with a 1-0 victory over Navy while Army defeated HBL 4-2 |
