KARACHI, Sept 10: Steel Mills lost 1-3 to Wapda but reached the semi-finals of All-Pakistan Shaheed-i-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan hockey tournament on better goal average at the Hockey Club of Pakistan on Monday.

Both, Steel Mills and Pakistan Navy, were tied at seven points each, but former moved ahead on better goal average.

The losers were off to a fine start when they took an early lead through Yasin Anwar in the sixth minute.

But the goal merely proved a consolation as Wapda slotted home twice before break, while netted their third in the second half.

Two-goal Asif Michael hammered in the equaliser after being assisted by Mohammad Naseer in the circle in the 16th minute. Steel Mills came close to scoring in the next minute but Mohammad Imran missed the sitter.

But Asif gave Steel Mills goalkeeper Farhan Asif no chance in the 24th minute when he found the target with an angular scoop.

Wapda would have moved ahead had Moazzam Ali not shown complacency, hitting the woodwork despite having ample time and space seconds before halftime whistle. Wapda completed their tally as Moazzam compensated with 45th-minute strike.

A late charge in the first half saw PIA defeat Habib Bank 5-0 in a match which was played under floodlights after a two-hour delay because of lack of arrangements.

The match played in insufficient lights saw PIA finally breaking the deadlock in the 31st when Mahmood Ali found the cage. Amir Saleem doubled the lead seconds before halftime, while Waqas Akbar made it 3-0 a minute into second period.

Mohammad Mukhtar slammed home fourth in the 47th minute, while Shafqat Rasool wrapped up the game with a 60th-minute penalty stroke conversion.

After the completion of semi-finals line-up, the NBP Whites meet Port Qasim Authority at 3.00pm, while PIA face Steel Mills at 4.30pm.

However, according to Steel Mills team manager Rashid Ali Khan, his side should have played at 3.00pm against PIA.

“Tournament director (Muhammad) Shafique asked us to play in the evening, saying that we must have been tired as we and PIA played matches quite late today,” said Steel Mills official.

Meanwhile, Navy handed a crushing 8-2 defeat to the KESC but failed to qualify for the last four.

Four-goal Rao Nadeem opened the scoring with a third-minute goal followed by Shahid Abbas strike in the 26th minute. Mushtaq Ahmad made it 3-0 in the 30th minute and Rizwanul Haq got the fourth a minute before break.

Nadeem found the cage for his second in the 42nd minute, while the KESC reduced the margin through Iftikhar in the 44th minute and in the 50th minute via Farhan Ahmad.

Navy sealed the fate of the match with Mohammad Usman scoring in the 58th minute and Nadeem in the 60th and 70th minutes.

In a match having no significance, the POF edged past Karachi 2-1.

Kashif netted the first in the 30th minute, Karachi got consolation through Salman Khan in the 55th minute, while Naveed Yousuf score the winner a minute before fulltime.