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IRNA - Sepahan handed the visiting Persepolis a 2-0 defeat in the 30th week of the 16-strong fifth Iran Pro League in Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium, central capital Isfahan, Friday.

Persepolis was reduced to 10 men in the 16th minute when keeper Farshid Karimi was red-carded by referee Rahim Rahimi-Moqaddam.

Striker Rassoul Khatibi lobbed a through ball over advancing keeper Mohammad Mohammadi on 66 minutes.

Khatibi should have made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute, but he failed to beat Mohammadi with his chip.

Sepahan, however, celebrated the second five minutes from time through Java Mojiri.

Persepolis occupies the ninth place with 38 points and Sepahan is seventh on 43.

Rah Ahan beats relegated Shamoushak

Rah Ahan snatched a 2-1 home win over relegated Shamoushak in the last week of the fifth Iran Pro League in the capital's Ekbatan Stadium Friday.

Hadi Asghari put the home team ahead five minutes from the interval, but Esmaeil Gharavi scored the equalizer in the 55th minute.

Rah Ahan, however, grabbed the winner through Asghari two minutes from normal time.

Referee Alborz Hajipour red-carded Rah Ahan's Mehdi tartar and Shamoushak player Saeid Kouzegar.

Debutant Rah Ahan is 13th with a 34-point asset and Shamoushak is 15th on 23.

Malavan tames Zob Ahan

Malavan wrapped up the fifth Iran Pro League with a surprising 3-1 victory over top team of Zob Ahan in Takhti Stadium in Bandar Anzali, northern province of Gilan, Friday.

Esmaeil Farhadi took the lead for the visitor in the sixth minute, but Mohammad Heidari leveled the game nine minutes into the second half.

Striker Mohammad Gholami celebrated his double on 75 and 89 minutes, giving the navy's side a valuable win.

Assisted by linesmen Amir Davoudzadeh and Gholam-Reza Jabbari, Hedayat Mombeyni refereed the match.

Zob lies in the sixth spot on 45 points and Malavan is 11th with 36.

Saipa ranks third at Pro League

National automaker Saipa finished third with a 2-0 away win over struggling Fajr-e Sepassi in the 16-strong fifth Iran Pro League in Hafezieh Stadium, southern capital city of Shiraz, Friday.

The two teams fought to a scoreless tie in the first half, but the visitor netted on 63 and 83 minutes.

Mohsen Khalili opened the scoring and Hamid Farzaneh added the second.

Farzaneh and Fajr's Vahid Rezaei and Seyed Mahmoud Moussavi were sent off by referee Hossein Qahremani.

Saipa garnered 52 points and 10th-placed Fajr-e Sepassi collected 36.

Relegated Qandi extends losing streak

Relegated Shahid Qandi extended its losing streak, conceding a 3-2 loss to home side Esteqlal in the last week of the fifth Iran Pro League in Takhti Stadium in the southern city of Shoushtar Friday.

Saeid Assadollahi put the Yazd-based Qandi ahead in the 33rd minute, but his opener was canceled out by topscorer Fereydoun Fazli three minutes after the break.

Esteqlal of Ahvaz took the lead in the 63rd minute through Gholam-Reza Eidizadeh and Mostafa Bijani made it 3-1 in the 71st minute.

Qandi minimized the gap four minutes from normal time, but it failed to salvage a draw.

Saeid Bakhshizadeh refereed the game in front of some two thousand spectators.

Winning 34 points, Esteqlal is 12th and Qandi sticks to rock bottom on 19.

Abu Moslem humbles Foulad

Abu Moslem tamed the 4th Iran Pro League holder Foulad 5-1 in the last week of the fifth edition in the northeastern capital Mashhad Friday.

Named "Non-Tehrani Team of the League", Abu Moslem playing before passionate home fans in Thamen ul-A'emmeh Stadium opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Mohammad Mansouri.

Foulad's national defender Jalal Kameli-Mofrad was booked after 24 minutes, receiving his marching orders from referee Massoud Moradi for strong opposition.

The situation was exacerbated for Foulad eight minutes from the break as the southerners were reduced to nine men following the expulsion of Pejman Montazeri.

Striker Hossein Badamaki doubled the scoring five minutes later and Saeid Khani made it 3-1 in the 55th minute.

Foulad pulled one back on 58 minutes as Mohsen Hamidi found the net.

Abu Moslem, however, added the fourth and fifth when Badamaki and Mehdi Kheiri netted on 89 minutes and three minutes into stoppage time.

The romp gave Abu Moslem the fifth spot in the 16-strong league with 46 points.

Foulad lies in the eighth place on 41.

Pas stuns Saba, stands second

Pas finished runner-up as it came from one-goal down to overcome high-flight Saba Battery 4-2 in the last week of the 16-strong fifth Iran Pro League in Shahid Derakhshan Stadium in Sabashahr, west of Tehran, Friday.

The home team Saba had a dream start, taking the lead through Mohsen Soltani, whose drive found the net after four minutes.

But Mustafa Denizli, Turkish manager of Pas, had Meysam Maniei to thank for hitting his hat-trick on 15, 37, and 57 minutes in front of some 15,000 fans.

The visitor celebrated the fourth in the 67th minute when Kianoush Rahmati fired home.

Saba reduced the gap through national skipper Ali Daei, whose powerful free-kick on 90 minutes kissed the top corner of keeper Hassan Roudbarian's net.

The precious victory did not work as the capital's Esteqlal trounced the lowly Barq 4-1 in a packed 100,000-seater Azadi Stadium, lifting the trophy on 59 points.

Pas collected 58 points.

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