League Play-Off

Newport
Spectators: 39 (Terracing: 30, Seating: 9, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Saad Bhatti kicked off to start the match. Saad Bhatti might have been able to make a better finish in the 3rd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Rahman Munir. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Saad Bhatti ran back to his position shaking his head. Moazzam Sultan scored 1-0 in the 6th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Hassan Khan, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. After a rather tough play, Newport United's Nawaz Jahangir got a free kick in the 9th minute. Hassan Khan made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Haidar Mehmood in the 15th minute of play. Sheraz Wahid kicked well hit freekick during the 16th minute of the match. In the 19th minute, Arif Rana hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The audience thought a goal was coming when Moazzam Sultan got free with Hassan Khan in the 21st minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. In the 24th minute, Mir Zeeshan ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Rahman Munir was frozen by the shot and now it was 1-1. Rahman Munir made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Sheraz Wahid in the 33rd minute of play. Faran Malik's late challenge caught a Cannock City's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Faran Malik helped the player get up and apologised. In the 37th match minute, Newport United was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Faran Malik to maneuver through the defense. 42 minutes into the match, Newport United's Haidar Mehmood sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Hassan Khan narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Moazzam Sultan fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 43rd minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Hassan Khan having to interfere. After the first half the score was level. The break gave the players a chance to catch their breath, whilst the managers went over the tactics with them again.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Haidar Mehmood stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. An unexpectedly hard shot by Haidar Mehmood in the 51st minute of play forced Cannock City's goalkeeper Hassan Khan to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. A collision led to Newport United getting a freekick after 53 minutes play. Azhar Rashid hit a great ball. When the match clock showed 54 minutes, the score became 1-2 when Saad Bhatti sped through Newport United's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Rahman Munir. Haidar Mehmood sent away a hard shot on goal in the 61st minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. The audience was convinced that Haidar Mehmood's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Hassan Khan was relentless in the 65th minute of the game. 67 minutes into the match, Newport United's Moazzam Sultan sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Hassan Khan narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Cannock City's Talal Raman suffered a sore thigh after 70 minutes and couldn't finish the game. Zafar Mukhtar hit a great freekick 71 minutes into the match. Mir Zeeshan struck a weak shot in the 74th minute. Rahman Munir didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Cannock City. After some careless play in the Cannock City defense, Haidar Mehmood kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Hassan Khan. The Cannock City fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Hassan Khan should have stopped the shot. Hassan Khan showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Haidar Mehmood in the 82nd minute of the match. Hassan Khan showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Haidar Mehmood in the 83rd minute of the match. After a defensive mix-up in Cannock City's zone, Moazzam Sultan stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Hassan Khan came out of the goal and Moazzam Sultan tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Moazzam Sultan received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 94th minute. Hassan Khan tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The final whistle blew with the score still tied, and both teams left the pitch thinking about the missed chances that could have given their team the win.