Pak juniors trounce Tasmania 5-1

KARACHI: Pir Mahal’s Naveed Alam and Faisalabad’s Rizwan Ali scored two goals each as Pakistan routed hosts Tasmania 5-1 in their first match of the four-team playoffs at the National Junior Championships of Australia.

Pakistan led 2-0 at the half time with the nimble-footed Naveed finding the net with field attempts. Tasmania reduced the margin in the 51st minute through Samuel McCullouch. But Pakistani colts extended the lead again very soon. Rizwan with two penalty corner conversions in the 59th and the 64th minutes made it 4-1.

Ahmed Nadeem, another promising forward, struck the fifth in the 66th minute.  Pakistan juniors head coach Kamran Ashraf said that the team played well. “The most satisfactory thing is that in all departments our grip was good in the match. The forwards and the penalty corner strikers both scored goals. The defenders and the goalkeeper were also successful in foiling the attacks by Tasmanian forwards,” said the chief coach.