KARACHI: After a few bad games in the first week of this month, holders Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) have started inching towards another crown as they joined National Bank on the top spot after outclassing Chaman’s Muslim FC 4-1 in the 9th Pakistan Premier Football League 2012 on Tuesday, 16 October.
Former champions Army defeated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) 2-0.
At the Railways Stadium in Lahore, hosts KRL whipped Muslim FC who had defeated a few departmental teams, especially in the Karachi round, and had emerged as a major threat.
Striker Kaleemullah emerged as a hero for KRL with a treble, scoring goals in ninth, 72nd and 84th minutes. He was joined on the scoresheet by international Zia-us-Salam with a strike in the 54th minute.
Mohammad Dawood netted the only goal for the visitors in the 39th minute to bring the parity after KRL had taken the initiative.
The win, their eighth, enabled KRL to share the top spot with National Bank. Both have 28 points, but the defending champions have three matches advantage and are well poised to ensure another grand finish.
The loss left Muslim FC at 18 points from 14 meetings.
At the Army Stadium in Rawalpindi, Army produced their eighth victory of the season with a win over PIA. They now have 27 points like KESC who the other day lost their grip on the top seat following a narrow 0-1 loss to PAF in Peshawar.
International striker Imran Hussain, known as Mani in football circle, put the soldiers ahead in the 36th minute before Mohammad Ikram doubled their lead in the 55th minute.
The defeat left PIA struggling at 16 points from 13 appearances.
Sources said all the gates of the Army Stadium had been closed and the teams of KPT, National Bank and KESC were uselessly left waiting outside the venue. And they were finally asked to go back as due to security fears the gates could not be opened for them.
In another vital game at Lahore, Navy held four-time former champions WAPDA to a 1-1 draw to inflate their points tally to 15 from 14 meetings.
Wasim Abbas put hosts WAPDA on front foot in the 57th minute after an action-packed first half. However, Navy fought back with an equaliser in the 63rd minute through their seasoned campaigner Mohammad Ramzan.
WAPDA with the single point moved to 18 from 13 matches.
Chaman’s Afghan FC earned their third victory with a 1-0 triumph over Lahore’s Wohaib Club at the UMT Ground in Lahore.
International striker Jadeed Khan Pathan landed the winner for the visitors in the 65th minute.
The full points took Afghan FC to 10 points from 11 matches.
Wohaib Club, who have joined the top league after four years, are fighting to save their seat for the next season as they have only four points from 12 meetings.
PMC Athletico got a crucial point to move to 11 points from 12 matches after holding Nushki’s Baloch FC to a goalless draw at the PMC Ground in Faisalabad. Baloch FC, also fighting to avert relegation, advanced to eight points from 13 meetings.
Today’s fixtures: PAF v HBL (PAF Complex Ground, Peshawar), ZTBL v KPT (Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad).
9th Pakistan Premier Football League-2012(9th PPFL-2012)
Match Results (Tuesday, October 16, 2012)
Match # 101
WAPDA Vs Navy 1:1 Draw @ 1230 PST @ Railway Football Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
Scorer WAPDA: Waseem Abbas (FW) 1 Goal @ 57 Mnt.
Scorer Navy: Ramzan (FW) 1 Goal @ 63 Mnt.
Yellow Card WAPDA: Mahmood (MF) @ 12 Mnt and Muhammad Shahid (DF) @ 45 Mnt.
Best Player: Waseem Abbas (FW) of WAPDA
Best Scorer: Ramzan (FW) of Navy
Match Commissioner: Rasheed Mahmood Butt Cell # 0333-4349648
Match # 102
PMC Athletico Vs Baloch FC 0:0 Draw @ 1500 PST @ PMC Football Ground, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Best Player: Basit Ghafoor (Goal Keeper) of PMC
Match Commissioner: Mian Bari Cell # 0300-7890300
Match # 103
Army beat PIA 2:0 @ 1500 PST @ Army Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Scorer Army: Imran Hussain (FW) 1 Goal @ 36 Mnt and Muhammad Ikram (FW) 1 Goal @ 65 Mnt.
Yellow Card Army: Muhabat Wali (DF) @ 36 Mnt.
Yellow Card PIA: Waseem Ullah (DF) @ 44 Mnt.
Best Player: Muhammad Ikram (FW) of Army
Best Scorer: Imran Hussain (FW) of Army
Match Commissioner: Salah-ud-Din Cell # 0302-5932197
Match # 104
KRL beat Muslim FC 4:1 @ 1500 PST @ Railway Football Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
Scorer KRL: Kaleem Ullah (FW) 3 Goals @ 9, 72, 84 Mnts and Zia-ul- Saleem 1 Goal @ 64 Mnt.
Scorer Muslim FC: Muhammad Dawood (MF) 1 Goal @ 39 Mnt.
Yellow Card Muslim FC: Zabih Ullah (MF) @ 70 Mnt.
Best Player: Kaleem Ullah (FW) of KRL
Best Scorer: Kaleem ullah (FW) of KRL
Match Commissioner: Rasheed Mahmood Butt Cell # 0333-4349648
Match # 105
Afghan FC beat Wohaib FC 1:0 @ 1500 PST @ UMT Football Ground, Lahore, Pakistan
Scorer Afghan FC: Jadeed Khan Pathan (FW) 1 Goal @ 65 Mnt.
Yellow Card Wohaib FC: Arsal (DF) @ 29 Mnt.
Yellow Card Afghan FC: Asad (DF) @ 36 Mnt.
Best Player: Zahid Nadeem (Goal Keeper) of Wohaib FC
Best Scorer: Jadeed Khan Pathan (FW) of Afghan FC
Match Commissioner: Naseem-ud-Din Cell # 0300-4694647
Tomorrow 9th PPFL-2012 Fixture :( Wednesday, October 17, 2012)
Match # 106 PAF Vs HBL @ 15:00 PST @ PAF Complex Ground, Peshawar, Pakistan
Match # 107 ZTBL Vs KPT @ 15:00 PST @ Jinnah Football Stadium, Islamabad, Pakistan
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | D | P | Last 5 matches | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
KRL | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 28 | W W W W D | |
| 2 |  |
National Bank | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 28 | W W L W D | |
| 3 | |
Karachi Electric | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 26 | 10 | +16 | 27 | L W D D D | |
| 4 | |
Pakistan Army | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 27 | W W W W W | |
| 5 | |
Pakistan Air Force | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 24 | W W W W D | |
| 6 | |
WAPDA | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 15 | +4 | 18 | D L D D L | |
| 7 | |
Muslim | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 18 | -5 | 18 | L L W D L | |
| 8 | Pakistan Airlines | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 9 | +0 | 16 | L D D D D | ||
| 9 | |
Pakistan Navy | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 15 | D D L L D | |
| 10 | |
Karachi Port Trust | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 15 | L L D W W | |
| 11 | Habib Bank | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 16 | -8 | 15 | W L W W D | ||
| 12 | PMC Athletico | 12 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 11 | +0 | 11 | D D W L L | ||
| 13 | |
Afghan | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 10 | W L W L L | |
| 14 | |
ZTBL | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 18 | -11 | 8 | L D L L W | |
| 15 | Baloch | 13 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 8 | D L L L L | ||
| 16 | Wohaib | 12 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 19 | -15 | 4 | L L L D D |