Pakistan conceded a last minute goal to allow South Korea escape with a 3-3 draw in a thrilling pool 'B' match in the sixth men's junior Asia Cup hockey tournament at the Gachibowli stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
After being 0-2 down at the breather, Pakistan made a spirited fightback to take a 3-2 lead three minutes from the final hooter but failed to stop Lee Yong Kuk of South Korea to convert a penalty corner in the last minute.
After a win and a draw from two matches, both Pakistan and South Korea are on four points each and both can go to the semi-finals with either a win or a draw in their final matches on Tuesday against Bangladesh and Oman respectively.
Hosts India have already made it to the semi-finals from pool 'A'.
South Korea put up an impressive performance in the first half and Nam Hyun Woo put them into lead by converting their second penalty corner in the 14th minute before Lim Woo Geun sounded the board from another penalty corner in 33rd minute.
The Pakistanis fought back in the second half with Inayat Ullah first reducing the margin through a field goal in the 50th minute and then levelled the score in the 55th minute via a Kashif Ali penalty corner conversion.
Pumped up by the two goals in quick succession, Pakistan went for the kill and it was Kashif Ali who put them ahead for the first time in the match in the 67th minute by converting another penalty corner.
Just as it looked like the Koreans would bite the dust after doing so well in the first half, Lee Yong Kuk saved the day for the East Asians by converting a penalty corner in the last minute of the game to the huge disappointment of the Pakistanis.
Earlier in the first pool 'B' match of the day, Bangladesh registered their first victory with an emphatic 7-1 win over Oman.
For Bangladesh, who led 2-1 at the first half time, Rasel Mahmud and Mohd Hasan Jubair scored a brace each while Rimon Kumar Gosh, Krishno Kumir and Ashaduzzaman Chandan scored one goal each.
For Oman, the lone goal was scored by Basim Rajab in the 32nd minute.
In their previous matches, Pakistan and South Korea had easy outings thrashing Oman 5-1 and Bangladesh 8-0 respectively.
