Pas hammers holder Foulad

IRAN - Pas struck six after the interval to clobber the visiting holder Foulad 7-1 in the 24th week of the fifth Iran Pro League in Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium, west of the capital, Saturday.

The visitor took the lead after 13 minutes when Hojjat Chaharmahali fired home a Meysam Soleimani cross.

Foulad's opener was canceled out by Meysam Maniei one minute from halftime as he beat national keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour with a ferocious drive.

Striker Mohsen Bayatinia took optimal advantage of a defending blunder on 56 minutes, sending the ball through Mirzapour's legs.

Pas made it 3-1 following two consecutive mistakes by Mirzapour in the 66th minute.

The out-of-sorts keeper surprisingly failed to save a
high-flighted ball, bringing down Khosro Heidari. The referee Massoud Moradi red-carded the goalie and awarded Pas a penalty kick that was converted by Maniei.

Kianoush Rahmati fed by national defender Mohammad Nosrati behind the box on 81 minutes rounded his marker to celebrate the fourth with a shot past substitute keeper Hassan Houri.

Nosrati also joined the scorers one minute later as he dribbled past a couple of players before his deflected drive found the back of the net.

It was not the whole story. Milad May-Davoudi thanked his teammate Heidari for his superb pass on the left flank in the 87th minute with a kick from an acute angle that kissed the net.

Hadi Shakouri completed the southerners' rout one minute from normal time, drilling in an Arash Borhani pass.

Pas retains the second spot in the 16-strong table on 45 points and Foulad is eighth with 33 points and one match in hand.