Islamabad (Sports Report): Khan Research Laboratories(KRL) and Pakistan Wapda reached the semi-finals of the National Challenge Cup with commanding victories at the KPT Stadium on Tuesday.
Two superb strikes saw KRL down Mamsons 2-0 in a feisty last-eight clash where both teams went down to 10 men in the first half.
Wapda, meanwhile, eased past Pakistan Air Force 3-0 with all their goals coming in the first half.
KRL 2-0 Mamsons
The keenly-fought start led to flaring tempers with both sides reduced to 10 men in the 28th minute when Mamsons goalkeeper Usman Khan and KRL forward Mohammad Waheed being sent off for an altercation.
KRL broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion in the 41st when Najeebullah received the ball on the left and then cut inside, past two Mamsons players before launching a right-foot rocket that went in off the crossbar.
“After we went down to 10 men, the aim was to score as soon as possible,” said Najeebullah. “When I saw the space in front of me, I instinctively took a shot and thankfully it was a great goal.”
Mamsons tried to level the match, creating a few chances, but it was KRL who scored with Moin Ahmed sealing the result in the 79th with another stunning goal from outside the box.
Receiving the ball from the right and facing the goal, Moin took a touch and steadied himself before launching an unstoppable strike into the top corner.
KRL will play the winner of Wednesday’s quarter-final between Pakistan Army and Nimso.
Wapda 3-0 PAF
PAF’s goal had lived a charmed life with Wapda pressing from the start and the opening goal in the fifth minute came after a shot and a header came off the bar with Mohammad Abdullah reacting quickest to nod the ball in from close range.
Their second arrived in the 23rd minute when Adnan Saeed headed in from a corner and the contest was good as over in added time at the end of the first half when Ali Raza met a cross from the right with a first-time volley.
PAF tried to hit back in the second half but their efforts weren’t enough.
“The plan was to press from the start,” said Wapda’s Samnan Qaisar. “We were putting in a lot of crosses in the box and they brought us goals.”
Wapda’s semi-final is against the winner of Wednesday’s last-eight clash between SA Gardens and International Supply Company.
