TEHRANTIMES - Persepolis football team earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory in Iran Professional League (IPL) over valiant Gahar on Wednesday.

The match was initially scheduled to be played on January 4 but was called off due to air pollution in Tehran.

Gholamreza Rezaei gave Persepolis a lead in the 18th minute but Gahar’s Hamed Pour-omrani canceled out his goal just two minutes after the break.

Majid Khamis silenced the Persepolis’s fans, scoring an astonishing goal in the 56th minute.

Persepolis controlled the match afterward and substitute Hadi Norouzi found the back of the net in the 69th minute with a header.

Marko Perovic, who also came off the bench in the 80th minute, scored a goal from long distance in the 90th minute.

In the added time, Persepolis striker Norouzi was brought down in the penalty area by Gahar defender but Hossein Mahini failed to convert a penalty kick.  

In the post-match news conference, Gahar coach Mohammad Mayeli-kohan criticized referee Saeid Bakhshizadeh for being 'pro-Persepolis'.

Mayeli-kohan said, “I am so sorry for the football because the referee was against us. He behaved gently with the Persepolis players and showed so many cards to our players.”

“I am disappointed with his performance but I am satisfied with the way my boys played,” he added.

Persepolis moved up to sixth place, 14 points adrift of the top of the table.

Video of Iran Pro League week 20