Foulad punishes Persepolis, SAIPA stuns Sepahan

IRNA - Foulad hammered the visitor Persepolis 3-1 and SAIPA trounced the home team Sepahan 4-1 in the first week of the fourth Iran Pro League Tuesday.
With a handful of national players, Foulad took an early lead in Takhti Stadium of the southern city Ahvaz as Iman Mob`ali dribbled past two Persepolis players on the edge of penalty area to curl the ball past the reds` keeper Mohammad Mohammadi in the seventh minute.
The national midfielder failed to double his own and Foulad`s scoring in the 18th minute as he sent the ball wide above the bar from the penalty spot.
Referee Fereydoun Esfahanian awarded the shootout as Meysam Soleimani was tripped by Mohammadi.
The reds` woodwork was seriously endangered on 24 minutes when Afshin Hajipour rifled a powerful 25-yard drive inches from the post.
New signing of Persepolis, Sambo Choji from Nigeria, forced a dive from Foulad national goalie Ebrahim Mirzapour with an angled shot in the 29th minute.
Mohammadi showed Persepolis should not count on him as his net was found by Ahmad Mo`menzadeh from a tight angle seven minutes from the interval.
German manager Rainer Zobel threw on Reza Jabbari as of the second half to help Persepolis secure the parity.
Mirzapour, fresh from a spirit-raising 2-0 victory over Jordan in last Wednesday`s World Cup qualifying match in Amman, denied Persepolis right winger Javad Kazemian, palming away his ferocious shot in the 53rd minute.
But Kazemian did beat the keeper with a sweetly struck free-kick on 64 minutes.
Some 12,000 passionate fans sighed with grief four minutes later when Mo`menzadeh took the optimal advantage of Persepolis midfielder Pejman Jamshidi`s blunder and fired a shot, which shaved the near post after clearing the diving Mohammadi.
Kazemian squandered a gilt-edged chance in the 76th minute as he dillydallied in a man-to-man challenge with Mirzapour, letting national defender Javad Kameli-Mofrad enough time to dispossess him of the ball behind the six-yard area.
Mob`ali compensated for missed penalty when his deflected 35-yard cannonball was bounced back after hitting the hapless Mohammadi`s hand and post, leaving substitute Lefteh Hamidi alone with the rebound to pounce home in the stoppage time.
Foulad gave the reds a bitter pill to swallow in the very beginning, throwing the gauntlet for other title-eyeing teams.

In Fouladshahr Stadium in Isfahan, the second IPL champion was shocked as the last season`s underdog SAIPA struck four to win 4-1.
The visitor`s Alireza Abbasfard scored in the third minute, which was responded by Sepahan on 17 minutes when Abbas Aqaei converted a penalty.
SAIPA retook the lead in the 35th minute as Ebrahim Sadeqi netted. The Tehrani side celebrated the third and fourth on 65 and 77 minutes when Amir-Hossein Youssefi and Sadeqi scored.
In Monday`s matches, Barq stunned the third IPL holder Pas 2-1, Esteqlal of Ahvaz held the capital`s Esteqlal to a 1-1 draw, Abu Moslem overcame Zob Ahan 1-0, Shamoushak fought back to tie 2-2 with the newly-promoted Saba Battery, and the two teams of Paykan and Pegah struggled to a boring scoreless draw.

Malavan-Fajr match was postponed due to torrential rain in Bandar Anzali in northern Gilan province.