Persianfootball.com – ESFAHAN, Zob Ahan Esfahan won the first leg of the playoff for the final Persian Gulf League spot next season against Pas Hamedan.

However, the home-side gave away a much better result, conceding two goals from the visitors after already leading by four goals to eventually win 4-2.

Defender Sepehr Heydari, as well as strikers Esmaeil Farhadi and Mohsen Bayatinia scored in first half, before Farhadi added his second goal of the day two minutes before the hour-mark.

But Mohsen Rabikhah after 71 minutes and Vahid Aliabadi in injury time gave Pas a lifeline for the return leg on Wednesday.

Iran’s Persian Gulf League will be reduced from 18 to 16 teams for next season. Zob Ahan finished in 14th position last season, thereby avoiding direct relegation, like Aluminium Hormozgan, Sanat Naft Abadan, Paykan Ghazvin and Gahar Zagros.

Gostaresh Foolad and Esteghlal Khuzestan were directly promoted, the latter after after Shahrdari Tabriz were found guilty in a match fixing scandal.

Pas Hamedan qualified for the relegation matches by defeatin Mes Sarcheshmeh in a previous playoff.