Pakistan demolish China 5-0 in fourth hockey contest
LAHORE: Pakistan demolished China 5-0 in the fourth encounter to win the five-match hockey series in Changzhou (China) on Wednesday. Pakistan are now leading the series 3-1 with the last match to be played on Friday (tomorrow) at the same venue.
According to a spokesman for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), prolific goal scorer Waqas Sharif broke through from the right flank and then switched to the centre to rifle in a bullet in the very second minute after the start. Pakistan further bamboozled China in the fifth minute when striker Shakeel Abbasi, displaying deadly form in the series, flicked the ball home from an acute left angle to double the lead. With brilliant assistance from the midfield, especially from center half Mohammad Saqlain, the Pakistan forwards were just unstoppable.
Pakistan stretched the lead further in the 28th minute when pivot Saqlain and experienced striker Rehan Butt executed an excellent move from the midfield with Rehan hammering his first goal of the series as Pakistan led 3-0 at half time.
On resumption, China tried hard to make a comeback but all their efforts fizzled out as Pakistan defense of Zeeshan Ashraf, Muhammad Atiq and goalkeeper Salman Akbar withstood the pressure. Waqas struck again in the 48th minute with a fine goal, his second of the match. As the Chinese defense crumbled, Pakistan penetrated further to pulverize what was left of the resistance. Forward Shafqat Rasool banged in Pakistan’s fifth goal with a stinging shot to seal the fate of the match and the series.
An overjoyed Pakistan chief coach Khwaja Zakauddin profusely praised his lads for performing par excellence: “It was really heartening to see boys playing so wonderful hockey, particularly center half Saqlain proved that he is the genuine pivot. He masterminded the whole game with intelligence and vision. The half line functioned according to the plan and with deep defenders Zeeshan and Atiq the defense was impregnable”.
Zaka said the team really worked like a well oiled machine. “The forwards were combining well and were well assisted by the midfield. We will not be complacent and play in the same pattern to win the fifth and last match,” Zaka concluded.
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