League champions Shaheen brought the curtain down on the season by lifting the double after winning the prestigious Holland Cup by scoring a 3-2 extra-time win over Pakistan A with the golden goal coming from centre-forward Asghar Ali.
A script-writer couldn't have done a better job yesterday. Trailing by two goals at half-time - Feroze Khan and Farooq Saeed striking for Pakistan A - Shaheen stormed back to first level the score and then push the match into extra-time where they clinched victory in the second period.
It was a repeat of their semi-final performance against Valley A last week and proved for the umpteenth time Shaheen's championship mettle. A section of the packed crowd rightly sang the song of success We are the Champions at the end of the match and Shaheen basked in the accustomed adulation.
'They are a class side. They showed their character once again. When they are up against it, Shaheen can dig deep and produce the desired result. We have seen it many times before and they showed it again today. They play hockey with passion,' said Roger Nissim, president of the Hockey Association.
Most of the capacity crowd at King's Park expected Shaheen to come back even when they trailed 2-0 at the break. 'Don't worry, they will come back,' said Sher Lama, a fan. And indeed the comeback was on when captain Swalikh Mohammed scored Shaheen's first goal four minutes into the second half, off a short corner, to give his team the boost and the belief they could win.
'Once we scored our first goal, I knew we were on the comeback trail. All we needed was that first goal to take the pressure of us. Pakistan A are a good side and they played an excellent game, but I knew we would win it,' said Mohammed.
Shaheen equalised minutes later when Nawab Din Ziez, who at 43 was the oldest man on the King's Park pitch, deflected a powerful, long drive into the net. Then it was left to the three Ali brothers to engineer victory which came in the second minute of the second half of extra-time.