Second half treble downs Foolad

AFCL - Three goals in 11 second-half minutes gave Pakhtakor a 3-1 win over Foolad in Tehran to further enhance the Uzbek champions' hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.

Pakhtakor, who reached the semi-finals of the competition in 2003 and 2004, were forced to battle back from being a goal down after Meysam Soleimani gave Foolad the lead 10 minutes before the break.

But an equaliser from Renat Bayramov less than a minute after the restart kick-started Pakhtakor's resurgence and Vladislav Kiryan gave the visitors the lead two minutes later.

Komoloddin Tadjiev doubled the Uzbek side's advantage in the 57th minute, putting the result beyond doubt as Pakhtakor moved onto nine points from four Group A games.

It could, however, have been so different after Foolad received a boost prior to kick-off with news that Iraqi international Emad Mohammed was fit to play and the Iranian club dominated the opening exchanges.

But for the talents of Pakhtakor goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov, Foolad would have turned that superiority into goals in the oening exchanges while Mohammed thought he had put his side on the score-sheet, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.

Nesterov was called upon in the 20th minute to deny Adel Kolahkaj before the Uzebk keeper was injured in a clash with Ali Badavi that resulted in the goalkeeper being replaced by Temur Juraev.

With 10 minutes to go to half-time Kuraev was picking the ball out of the net after Mohammed fed Badavi on the left wing and his cross was met by Soleimani, who scored from close range.

Pakhtakor, however, were to pull level almost immediately after the restart when a mistake by Alavi allowed Bayramov to equalise.

Two minutes later Bayramov turned provider when he fed the ball through the Foolad defence for Kiryan to powerfully shoot past Ebrahim Mirzapour in the home side’s goal.

Milad Nori’s effort hit the crossbar as Foolad sought out the equaliser but, in the 57th minute, Pakhtakor extended their lead when Aleksander Kletskov beat Mirzapour to the ball with his head, flicking it into the path of Tadjiev, who headed home.

Anvarjon Sloiev could have added a fourth just before the hour mark but Mirzapour did well to deny the Uzbek international.

Mohammed went close to reducing the deficit with a header as the game entered the final quarter while Lafteh Hamidi missed a golden chance with 15 minutes of the game remaining.

But it was not enough to deny Valeri Nepomniatchi’s team their third win in four AFC Champions League games this season.