ATHENS, 23 August - Pakistan turned in a powerful performance to end its Pool matches at the Olympic Hockey Tournament, thrashing a dispirited Great Britain 8-2 at the Olympic Hockey Centre and securing a place in the classification fifth to eighth place play-offs after recording three wins in the Pool stages.

The heavy defeat means Great Britain finished the Pool stage with its only victim (Egypt) below it in the table and it will now play-off for the ninth to 12th place spots.

The match started well for Great Britain when after the fifth minute Niall STOTT dribbled the ball along the back line, lost it to Zeeshan ASHRAF, then reclaimed it and thrashed it home from a narrow angle in to the bottom corner of Alam AHMED's goal to make the score 1-0.

That was as good as it got for Great Britain and four minutes later the equaliser came for Pakistan who fought back with a goal from penalty corner specialist Sohail ABBAS who stunned the Great Britain defence with his power and accuracy.

The first half ended quite dramatically when Pakistan were awarded a penalty corner on the hooter. With all its players up for the attack, Pakistan took the lead when Ghazanfar ALI neatly netted the ball to give them a 2-1 first half lead.

At the start of the second half, Shabbir MUHAMMAD dribbled in to the circle to set up his captain Nadeem MUHAMMAD who made the score 3-1.

Pakistan just couldn't stop attacking the Great Britain goal and two minutes later Sohail ABBAS added another penalty corner to his tally with a powerful but controlled flick, to make the score 4-1.

Great Britain then wasted some good opportunities to reduce the deficit and Pakistan made the misses count when it increased the lead once again in the 55th minute when Rehan BUTT fired in from the right to make it 5-1.

The onslaught continued for Pakistan and within a few seconds of each other five minutes later Shakeel ABBASI and Shabbir MUHAMMAD had stretched the lead to first 6-1 and then 7-1 to leave Great Britain reeling.

Danny HALL managed to convert a consolation for Great Britain with a penalty corner goal on 65 minutes, but Pakistan completed the humiliation two minutes from time when BUTT scored his second to make the final score 8-2.

Pakistan will now contest the fifth to eighth classification matches. Its opponent is yet to be decided, but the match will take place on Wednesday, 25 August.

Great Britain will  contest the ninth to 12th classification matches, also scheduled for Wednesday, 25 August.