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Karachi United pulled off a stunning
second half comeback to draw 3-3 with
Malir Shaheen in their first game of the
Super League phase.
Despite missing goalie Shahnawaz Raj and
with midfielder Furkan Ali and striker
Daniyal Alvi still nursing injuries, KU
fielded veterans Obaid Khwaja, Bilal
Mehdi and Taha Alizai in the starting
line up.
The game started well enough with KU
looking sharp and a brilliant counter
attack saw Usman Iqbal’s beautiful flick
pass send Ali Haider trhough on the left
flank, and the full back sent a
brilliant cross, which was missed by
Shaezer Azmat but Shahrukh Chaudhary
arriving late in the box, coolly slotted
in KU’s opener in the 12th
minute.
Having taken the lead, KU looked well
and truly in control for the for the
first 20 or so minutes. However, the
next 25 minutes saw a combination of two
howlers and slack marking result in the
match being turned on its head.
In the 26th minute, a
hopeless long ball which should have
been easily cleared by Obaid, somehow
rebounded off the Malir striker, Zakir
and cannoned back into the goal to make
it 1-1.
the soft goal seemed to shake up KU as
within the space of
four
minutes, Malir took the lead, when
Zakir’s shot was somehow parried into
his own goal by Obaid. While one could
sympathize with the veteran keeper, who
was playing his first competitive game
of the season, the Hilario’esque errors
were proving costly.
However, Obaid could not be blamed for
the third goal as some great approach
play from the Malir left flank, saw the
winger send in an excellent cross, which
was brilliantly headed in by Abdul Samad
to make it 3-1 to Malir in the 35th
minute. Within a space of 9 minutes the
game had completely changed as KU went
from cruise control to struggling to
stave a hammering. Although KU mounted a
few good attacks, they were unable to
create a clear cut chance and the
referee’s whistle to end the first half
could not been more welcome.
The second half however was a totally
different affair as whatever happened in
the KU dressing room seemed to galvanize
the team, as it looked a completely
different match. KU piled on the
pressure from the outset and thanks to
some solid defending, hardly gave the
opposition a sniff of their own goal.
KU had a number of half chances as
Shahrukh sent in a couple of good
crosses and lobbed passes, but neither
Taha Alizai nor Shaezer could finish the
moves. In fact KU were unlucky to be
deprived of at least two clear penalties
and another good shout for a penalty.
The first of these saw, skipper, Hamza
Khan clearly fouled inside the box, but
the referee inexplicably gave a free
kick from outside the box. The resultant
free kick cannoned off the wall for a
corner but KU got their just desserts
when of the ensuing corner, it was
skipper Hamza who rose highest to head
home in the 50th
minute
and bring KU back into the game.
KU were denied another penalty from
another good cross from the right when
Taha got a boot in the face trying to go
for a header but once again the referee
waived play on.
With the clock winding down, KU changed
their formation to a 4-3-3 and threw on
fresh legs including Alvi. Alvi’s
arrival seemed to further raise the KU
spirits as they pushed on for an
equalizer. With Shaezer blazing another
shot wide and a further half shout for a
penalty (from a Taha cross) being turned
down, it seemed to be an uphill battle
for KU. However, thereafter the best
move of the game saw KU earn a deserved
equalizer. The move was started by
Kareem Kerai just inside the Malir half
who sent a neat pass to Alvi’s whose
brilliant return pass saw Kareem drive
in ahead of the defence, and neatly tuck
the ball past the rushing goalie. 3-3 in
the 78th minute and it looked
like KU would snatch an unlikely win.
Minutes later, it was Kareem who was the
inspiration again as an incisive cross
from the left saw Taha only managing to
skim his header and the little touch
threw off Shaezer as well. With the
clock winding down, Shaezer had KU’s
last chance to win the game but his left
footed strike went harmlessly wide off
the mark.
A spirited 3-3 draw but lessons to be
learnt for the remainder of the
campaign.
Player Ratings:
Obaid Khowaja--5.75
Bilal Mehdi--6.25 subbed with Areeb Bhaila --6.00
Moiz Salahuddin–6.50
Hamza Khan--6.75
Ali Haider--6.50
Shahrukh
Chaudhary--6.75
Atif Sachak--6.50
Kareem Kerai--7.00
Usman Iqbal--6.25
subbed with Daniyal Alvi
--6.25
Shaezer R. Azmat--6.50
Taha Alizai--6.50
subbed with Wudood Sherani—N/A
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