26-Dec-2011
The News
Monday, December 26, 2011
Our Correspondent
KARACHI: Navy finished tenth out of 16 teams after losing to WAPDA 0-2 in their last match of the 8th Pakistan Premier Football League at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Sunday.
With the loss, Navy, who faced great problems in the season due to injuries to their key players, wrapped up the marathon with 35 points from 30 outings.
However, WAPDA, with their 15th victory, inflated their points tally to 51 from 29 meetings. They face champions Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in their last match on Wednesday.
Navy offered great resistance to the four-time champions WAPDA and at one stage it looked that the match will end in a goalless draw. But in the end WAPDA’s captain Arif Mehmood scored a brace with goals in the 80th and 82nd minute to seal a comfortable triumph.
Navy manager Khalid Zubair said that despite injuries to his key players throughout the season his side played superb football in the last round to recover from the worst position. “You know our vital players are still injured. At one time, we were on the verge of relegation but in the last round, our team played extremely well and finished respectably,” Khalid told The News from Islamabad on Sunday.
“WAPDA were seen nowhere in the last game as we had kept tight control but in the end a double strike from Arif damaged our hopes,” the Navy official said.
Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) have already emerged as champions. Chaman’s Afghan FC have ended second in the league. On Monday (today), KESC lock horns with KRL at the same venue. |
