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IRNA - The 18th-week matches of the 16-strong
fifth Iran Pro League on Jan 10 and 11 (Esteqlal-Malavan match was postponed
due to heavy snow):
EBRAHIMIAN GIVES SAIPA PROVISIONAL
LEADERSHIP
Ali Ebrahimian hit two to give surprise package Saipa a 2-1 win over
home team Shamoushak on a muddy pitch of Shohada Stadium of northern city of
Noshahr and provisional leadership Wednesday.
Ebrahimian scored one late goal in each half, on 44 and 89 minutes, to help
Saipa leapfrog pacesetter Esteqlal on goal difference.
Esfandiar Mohseni equalized the match in the 67th minute, converting a
penalty kick.
Saipa has 33 points and Shamoushak sticks to rock bottom with 15 points.
Khodadad Afsharian was the referee.
Esteqlal of Tehran has one match in hand as its 18th week clash against
visitor Malavan was postponed by heavy snow.
FAJR EXTENDS WINNING STREAK
Fajr-e Sepassi extended its winning streak with a 2-1 win over the home
side Shahid Qandi in Shahid Nassiri Stadium of Yazd, Wednesday.
Hassan Faraji put the visitor ahead in the 36th minute. Fajr's opener,
however, was canceled out in the 73rd minute when Hassan Beigi grabbed the
equalizer.
Promoted Qandi was forced to play with 10 men in the last five minutes as
Saeid Assadollahi received his marching orders from referee Mahmoud Rafiei.
Fajr extracted three points four minutes deep into stoppage time when Gholam-Reza
Rezaei celebrated the winner.
The Shirazi side Fajr is in the eighth place with 25 points and Qandi is in
the relegation zone, 15th spot, with meager 16 points.
DAQIQI GIVES SABA VICTORY OVER ABU MOSLEM
Saeid Daqiqi found the net after the restart to give Saba Battery a 1-0
home win over Abu Moslem in Derakhshan Stadium, Sabashahr, Wednesday.
Saba overcame the falling snow and the Mashhad-based Abu Moslem as the
forward scored in the 46th minute.
The victory gave Saba Battery the seventh place with 27 points while the
black-clad Abu Moslem is in the 10th spot with a 21-point asset.
Hedayat Mombeyni refereed the game.
SOUTH ESTEQLAL EDGES PAST BARQ
Esteqlal of the southern city of Ahvaz overcame the home team Barq 1-0
in Hafezieh Stadium of Shiraz, capital of Fars Province, Wednesday.
Playing on an uneven pitch in a rainy day, Esteqlal snatched the victory
with the sole goal of the match Ahmad Al-Ne'me scored in the 30th minute.
Esteqlal is in the 12th place with 19 points and Barq lies in the 14th spot
on 17 points.
Referee Saeid Baghbani, who was assisted by linesmen Iraj Shahrizadegan and
Mohsen Farimani, booked Mohammad Matouri, Mehdi Shiri, and Amin
Motevasselzadeh from Barq and Ali-Akbar Mehdipour, Abdolvahhab Abolheyl,
Saeid Chahjouei, and Hojjat Zad-Mahmoud from Esteqlal during the
action-filled clash.
ZOB AHAN SEES OFF RAH AHAN
Zob Ahan hit one in each half to beat the visiting side Rah Ahan 2-0 on
the rain-soaked pitch of Fouladshahr Stadium in central capital Isfahan
Wednesday.
Hamid Shafiei put the home team ahead in the 36th minute and Mehdi
Rajabzadeh doubled the scoring on 72 minutes.
Zob Ahan occupies the fifth slot with 28 points and the Tehran-based Rah
Ahan is in the 11th spot with 20 points.
Referee Mohsen Torki officiated the match.
REZA-POWERED FOULAD CLOSES IN ON TOP
Emad Reza grabbed the winner in the first half to help holder Foulad
jump one step with a 1-0 win over visitor Sepahan in Takhti Stadium of
southern city of Abadan Wednesday.
The striker, who scored both goals in Foulad's 2-1 away victory over Rah
Ahan last week, fired home in the 37th minute to give the southerners a
precious win.
Foulad was forced to play without national keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour, who had
been sidelined by three yellow cards he received in previous weeks.
Foulad lies in the fourth spot with 29 points and Sepahan demotes from
fourth place to the sixth on 27 points.
Referee Rahim Rahimi-Moqaddam and linesmen Hossein Nejati and Mohammad
Najafi judged the match.
PASHAEI HELPS PAS PAST PERSEPOLIS
Pashaei hit his double to inspire Pas into a 2-1 victory over Persepolis
in Tehran Tuesday.
Pashaei silenced more than 7,000 die-hard fans in Azadi Stadium as he
celebrated his opener in the seventh minute by deflecting a kick into the
goal.
Mehrzad Ma'danchi leveled the match 20 minutes later, steering a rebound
past in-form Pas keeper Hassan Roudbarian from close range.
Pas, however, restored the one-goal lead on 32 minutes after Pashaei stuck
to a through ball to score the winner with a perfect chip.
The two sides fought to a goalless second half.
Pas retains the third spot on 31 points and Persepolis moves down one step
to the ninth place with 22 points.
Assisted by linesmen Rassoul Foroughi and Massoud Fallah, Fereydoun
Esfahanian refereed the match.
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