Disjointed Pirouzi scrape past Al Talaba

AFC - A scrappy 62nd-minute goal from Yahya Golmohammadi was enough to help a misfiring Pirouzi side ease past Al Talaba 1-0 in their opening AFC Champions League Group D match in a rain-soaked Pakhtakor Stadium.

Golmohammadi, who captained Iran to victory in last year's Asian Games final, swept the winner home from just a couple of yards out after Ali Ansarian had crossed back into the danger area following a half-cleared corner.

Pirouzi had actually started brightly with their speed of movement creating plenty of space in which to launch their attacks, but they seemed to lose their way after having their appeals for a penalty rejected when Ansarian was upended near the goal-line in the 19th minute.

Talaba steadily ground their way into the game and started to pose a threat, particularly down both flanks. It was from wide out that the Iraqi side created the two most dangerous moments of the first half, and both opportunities fell to Younes Mahmoud.

In the 37th minute the 20-year-old striker forced Iranian international keeper Davoud Fanaee to scramble down at the far post to keep out one header, and then three minutes later flashed another just over the crossbar.

The second half saw a slight improvement from Pirouzi, although for quarter-of-an-hour neither side were able to create much. Talaba's attacks were frequently snuffed out by the superior strength of the Pirouzi defence, while at the other end the Tehran club were simply struggling to gel.

Then, out of the blue, Mohammed Barzegar found himself with a sight of goal. His shot was deflected fractionally over the bar, but from the corner Golmohammadi struck the only goal of the game.

Cheered on by the hardy souls who endured the constant rain to stay on after Pakhtakor's opening 3-0 win over Nisa and figured a draw was in their best interests, Talaba gradually increased the pressure on the Pirouzi goal as the game wore on, but rarely created any genuine scoring chances.

Davoud Fanaee was not forced into making any saves in the closing minutes against a Talaba team who only forced their first corner with 10 minutes to play. The goalkeeper's biggest threats came from Basim Abdul Hassan's right-wing crosses. One, Fanaee managed to push away, while another he punched clear while under intense pressure.