IRN 2-1 UZB: Two out of two for Iran

AFC - Iran maintained their perfect record in Group A at the AFC U-16 Championship with a 2-1 win over hosts Uzbekistan at Pakhtakor Stadium on Monday.

Mehrdad Yeganeh opened the scoring for the Iranians with a 27th minute strike and Kaveh Rezaei extended their lead 10 minutes into the second half before Oyatullahon Muhiddinov pulled back a consolation goal for the home side with 10 minutes remaining.

The Uzbeks were looking to build on their 7-0 demolition of Singapore in their opening match on Saturday and created the first opportunity of the game after 13 minutes as Maksim Utkin rose to meet a free-kick by Egor Krimets but sent his header wide.

But it was the Iranians that went ahead shortly before the half-hour mark when Yeganeh received a pass on the right edge of the Uzbek box and fired a left-footed shot past Oybek Talipov into the far corner of the net.

They nearly added a second two minutes later when Mehrgan Golbarg beat the Uzbek offside trap but was unable to put the ball past Talipov in a one-on-one showdown.

Uzbekistan turned on the pressure in the closing minutes of the half and should have equalised in the 37th minute as Akramjon Bahritdinov’s neat pass picked out an unmarked Abdumutallib Abdullaev who put his attempt over the crossbar.

Bahritdinov thought that he had equalised three minutes before the break when he bundled the ball past Iran goalkeeper Iman Sadeghi at the second attempt only to see the effort disallowed for offside.

In stoppage time, Abdullaev found himself with only the goalkeeper to beat only for Sadeghi to come to Iran’s rescue once again.

The hosts continued to press in the second half and went close eight minutes after the break when Abdullaev’s cross from the left was headed powerfully on target by Bahritdinov only for Sadeghi to make another remarkable save to keep his side in front.

Iran took full advantage of Sadeghi’s heroics, extending their advantage in the 55th minute when Talipov came out of his box in an attempt to make a clearance but lost possession to Mehrdad Yeganeh who put the ball into the crowded box where Kaveh Rezaei was on hand to score into the unguarded net.

Iran could have added a third goal seven minutes as Rayam Sadeghian launched a powerful shot from outside the box which rocked the Uzbek crossbar.

Uzbekistan pulled a goal back when substitute Oyatullahon Muhiddinov headed home a cross from Ayubhon Gapparov with 10 minutes remaining but it was to prove little more than a consolation as Iran held on for the three points.