Fifth Iran Pro League 24th-week matches

IRNA - The 24th-week matches of the 16-strong fifth Iran Pro League Friday:
Note 1: Barq-Shamoushak match went unfinished as Shamoushak team quit the pitch in the 70th minute as a gesture of protest at a penalty award.

Note 2: Saba Battery-Persepolis game due to Saba's Asian Club match has been rescheduled and will kick off at 18:45 on March 31.

ZOB FIGHTS BACK TO BEAT BOTTOM-PLACED QANDI
Zob Ahan came from three goals down to overcome visitor Shahid Qandi 4-3 in Fouladshahr Stadium, the central capital Isfahan.

Hamid-Reza Ebrahimi found the home side's net in the 20th minute and his teammate Asghar Sadatzadeh converted a penalty eight minutes later.

The situation for Zob Ahan went from bad to worse on 31 minutes, when Brazilian striker Carlos Santos celebrated the third.

However the home team made a surprise comeback as the goal spree started after 34 minutes, when Esmaeil Farhadi reduced the arrears.

Zob Ahan minimized the gap five minutes after the restart, with Mehdi Rajabzadeh firing home.

Mostafa Salehinejad leveled the match on 66 minutes and Mohammad Salsali stunned the Yazd-based Qandi seven minutes from normal time as he grabbed the winner.

Mohsen Qahremani refereed the match.

The dramatic victory helped Zob Ahan leapfrog Saba Battery and move up to fourth place provisionally on goal difference. Both sides have 36 points.

Qandi sticks to rock bottom on 18 minutes.

SHAMOUSHAK QUITS PITCH AFTER PENALTY ROW
The relegation-zone Shamoushak is once again in the spotlight as it left the field following a controversial penalty award for the home side Barq in the southern capital Shiraz.

The northerners, who due to bad weather failed to travel to Abadan to play holder Foulad in the 23rd week, stole the limelight as they quit the pitch of Hafezieh Stadium 20 minutes from time as a gesture of opposition to judgment.

Shamoushak defender Esfandiar Mohseni was judged by the referee Hassan Noushevar to have brought down Mehdi Shiri.

Mohseni received his marching orders for his strong protest, followed by a seven-minute interruption as the northern players sat on the corner of the field.

Later manager Bahman Foroutan summoned his players to the locker room.

The trainer said Shamoushak team director Ali-Akbar Esmaeilnejad ordered him on the phone to leave.

The scoreless match turned sour in the presence of the Asian Football Confederation Secretary General Peter Velappan.

Shamoushak is in the 15th place of the 16-strong league with meager 19 points out of 22 games and Barq is 14th on 23 points from 23 matches.

MALAVAN SEES OFF FAJR IN EMPTY STADIUM
Malavan handed the visiting Fajr-e Sepassi a 2-0 defeat in Takhti Stadium in the northern port city Bandar Anzali.

Hanif Omranzadeh celebrated the opener seven minutes into second half and Mohammad Gholamin doubled the scoring in the 61st minute.

Assisted by linesmen Hassan Kamranfar and Ramin Erfanian, Khodadad Afsharian refereed the match.

Malavan occupies the 11th slot with a 29-point asset and the Shiraz-based Fajr is in the eighth place on 33 points.

SEPAHAN OVERCOMES RAIN AND ABU MOSLEM
Sepahan snatched a 1-0 away victory over Abu Moslem in Thamen ul-A'emmeh Stadium in the northeastern capital Mashhad on a rainy day.

The two sides fought to a goalless draw before halftime, but it was the visitor that got the last laugh through Jalal Akbari, who scored the sole goal of the match in the 79th minute.

Sepahan was reduced to 10 men in the last minute, when Hadi Ja'fari was sent off.

Sepahan lies in the sixth spot with 34 points and Abu Moslem is 10th with 30 points.

SOUTH ESTEQLAL EDGES PAST RAH AHAN
Esteqlal of the southern capital Ahvaz beat visitor Rah Ahan 3-2 in Takhti Stadium, Shoushtar.

Ali Hamoudi opened the scoring for the home team after 15 minutes, which was responded by Alireza Mohammad in the 31st minute.

Esteqlal retook the lead on 56 minutes as Gholam-Reza Eidizadeh found the back of the net and his teammate Ali-Akbar Mehdipour made it 3-1 in the 73rd minute.

Rah Ahan pulled one back through Ahmad Jamshidian four minutes from time, but it failed to salvage an equalizer.

Referee Iraj Nazari and linesmen Mahmoud Kahouri and Ali Foroughi judged the match.

More than 5,000 fans watched the game.

The victory left Esteqlal in the 12th place with 26 points and promoted Rah Ahan lies in the 13th spot on 24 points.