KRL, Pak Navy in semis of National Challenge Cup

KARACHI - Strong KRL defeated a depleted Karachi Port Trust 2-1 to reach the semi-final of the fourteen-team National Challenge Cup football here at the KMC stadium on Saturday afternoon.
At Peoples Football Stadium Pakistan Navy accounted for HBL 1-0 in the second quarter final of the day. All the three goals in KRL/KPT encounter came in the second session. KPT was playing without its top regular stars Fareed Majeed, Muhammed Rauf, and Muhammad Idrees who missed crucial action due to injuries.
Abdul Rasool scored both the goals for the KRL in 54th and 67th minute while Abdul Rehman pulled a consolation goal in the closing minute of the contest for KPT.
The competition was so closely fought that the referee had to use the yellow cards frequently to keep control over the flow of the game. Three players from each side received the cards.
The final result of an interesting quarter-final, however, does not truly reflect KPT efforts in the first session which they dominated. Had the KPT strikers utilised scoring chances in the session the final script of the contest would have been totally different.
Twice in mid first session KPT squandered two guilt edged chances. Lal Baksh and Shahid Saleem missed opportunities as the play moved into 20th minute.
Lal Baksh blasted the ball over the crosspiece as Majeed Bahadur laid the ball to him inside the big box. An exited Lal Baksh took a hasty kick to finish the move in a spectacular manner but the spectacle did not bring good result.
Shortly afterwards Salim though ideally placed inside the small box missed an opportunity when Lal Baksh fed him a goal labelled pass.
KRL was so under pressure throughout the session that they only defended without creating any threatening move. Their captain Essa who was expected to play a role of play-maker did not have the freedom in midfield because he was constantly shadowed by fifteen year old Junaid Qadir who effectively curbed Essa's movements.