Two resurgent Asian teams Pakistan and South Korea played out a edge of the seat thriller in the first Hero Asian Champions Trophy semifinal. Giving bye to the standard structure and set plays, both teams played an intrinsic hockey, regaling the purist to the end in the process. Pakistan which scored the first goal and then came back valiantly from 3-5 down to 5-5 level, had to bow out in the end. The winning goal coming just four minutes before the hooter.

Jang Shyn Jang was the hero, giving lead to his side whenever it needed. His four goal thriller, first two from immaculate penalty stroke conversion and the rest from seven penalty corners the team had earned, turned the tide for the victorious side.

Pakistan fought true and hard but South Korea, inspired by Jang Jonghyun who scored four goals, emerged 6-5 winners in the first semi-final of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Maulana Bhasani stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Going into the final quarter, joint-holders Pakistan trailed 3-5 but levelled the scores before indisclipine, not for the first time, did them in.

Nadeem Ahmed picked up a yellow card (among three that his team were shown) and, during his suspension, South Korea scored the winner through Jang who drag-flicked home from his team’s seventh penalty corner.

Jang’s quadruple strike, including a hat-trick, took him past Harmanpreet Singh of India to the top of the scorers’ list with a tally of eight.

South Korea await the winners of the India vs Japan semi-final that followed shortly in Wednesday’s final.

Jang’s haul included two goals from penalty strokes – emanating from penalty corners – and two more from drag flicks at the set-piece itself.

Yang Jihun, Jang’s able deputy, scored a post-hooter goal with a drag-flick while Junwoo Jeong scored South Korea’s only field goal.

Pakistan made a rousing start when captain Umar Bhutta beat the goalkeeper at the near post with a pile driver from top of the circle after a splendid run down the right.

The Green Shirts scored two more field goals through Manzoor Junaid and Arfaz and delightfully for their bench scored two from PCs through Mubashar Ali.

Ali’s strikes made amends for specialist Abubaker Mahmood’s indifferent form at the set piece that largely made for a dismal 2/9 record in the match.

The scoreboard moved from 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5 and 6-5 to make for a riveting encounter. Pakistan displayed a propensity to control play, keeping possession adroitly, even displaying calm and composure but not consistently.

Yellow cards arrived at crucial moments for the men in green and a moment of impatience and indiscretion lost them the referral early in the game when a penalty stroke awarded to Korea was debated.