Esteqlal beats Fulad to close in on pacesetter SAIPA

MNA – Esteqlal celebrated a 3-2 home win over bottom-placed Fulad here Friday to reduce its gap with leader SAIPA.

Playing a 19th week game of the sixth Iran Pro League in Azadi Stadium, Esteqlal opened the scoring through Farzad Majidi who beat the visitor’s keeper Hassan Huri in a man-to-man challenge after 26 minutes.

But Fulad scored the equalizer in the dying moments of the first half, with Abdolhadi Hanifi chesting down the ball and drilling home from close range.

Esteqlal retook the lead as striker Siavash Akbarpur dribbled past fullback Mohamamd Alavi to celebrate a post-assisted goal from an acute angle.

The Blues should have made it 3-0 on the hour mark, when midfielder Hossein Kazemi saw his powerful drive be palmed away by Huri.

The third, however, came in the 65th minute as the fast-paced midfielder Meysam Bao cleared Huri to find the net with a tap-in.

Amir Khlifeh-Asl dived to head home Fulad’s consolation goal five minutes from time.

Second-placed Esteqlal has 36 points and table-topper SAIPA garners 42 after it was earlier held to a 1-1 draw by the visiting Malavan in Enqelab Stadium in Karaj, 35km west of the capital.

Mojtaba Qorbani put Malavan ahead with a header on 31 minutes and SAIPA skipper Ebrahim Sadeqi converted a penalty kick in the 56th minute.

In other Friday’s games, Barq fought to a 2-2 home draw against Zob Ahan in Shiraz while Paykan was also held to a goalless home in Tehran by Rah Ahan and the Kerman-based Mes saw off Fajr-e Sepassi 2-0.

Esteqlal of Ahvaz hosts Persepolis and Pas entertains Saba Battery in Tehran Saturday while Sepahan is host to Abu Moslem in Isfahan Sunday.