The Blues defeated Saba 2-0 at Azadi Stadium on Sunday in the last match of the IPL in the outgoing Iranian calendar year.
Most of the first half was played in the middle of the field and both sides left the pitch empty-handed.
Striker Arash Borhani scored the opener in the 58th minute to give the few scant fans a reason to cheer.
Some 20 minutes later, Borhan headed his second through a long cross by captain Farhad Majidi to clinch the victory for Parviz Mazloumi's side.
Earlier in the day, Zob Ahan beat Shahin 2-1 in Isfahan to extend its lead on top of the table.
Farshid Talebi put the Isfahan-based club ahead in 25th minute, and Jalal Rafkhaei doubled Zob Ahan's tally six minutes to the final whistle.
Mehdi Kiani pulled one back for Shahin in the dying minutes of the game from the penalty spot.
Also on Sunday, Malavan came from behind to edge pass Persepolis 2-1, and Sepahan beat Steel Azin with the same result.
In the standings, Zob Ahan still leads the way with 53 points, one point higher than Sepahan, which has one match in hand.
Esteqlal stands third with 49 points, and is followed by Teraktorsazi and Persepolis with 46 and 44 points, respectively.
The next week of the IPL will witness another clash of titans between Tehran's giants Esteqlal and Persepolis. The Tehran derby will be held on March 30 at Azadi Stadium.