Paykan Keeper Upsets Blues

In a 23^rd-week game played in the 100,000-seater Azadi stadium, west of Tehran, the two sides fought to a 1-1 draw.

Vaezi deserves a pat on the back for saving scores of goal-bound headers and kicks.

The in-form goalie denied Esteqlal striker Reza Enayati, who dived to hit an Ali Samereh cross with a point-blank header from close range in the 30^th minute.

Enayati cupped his face with his hands two minutes into the additional time as his header was saved by Vaezi in the goalmouth.

The keeper’s luck was in in the third minute of the stoppage time when a powerful 25-yard drive from midfielder Davud Seyyed Abbassi rattled the post.

The blue-clad Esteqlal, which had planned to gap its wide with the second-placed Pas heaped great pressure on Paykan woodwork immediately after the restart.

Seyyed Abbassi unleashed a ferocious angled shot in the 49^th minute, forcing a dive from Vaezi, who just palmed away the ball in the path of Esteqlal midfielder Farzad Majidi, who hit the rebound against Paykan defender’s chest with his arms crossed.

Esteqlal players rushed to the referee Fereydun Esfahanian to convince him to show the penalty spot for handball but the judge ordered for continuation.

Out-of-sorts striker of Esteqlal, Ali Samereh, was also upset by Vaezi, who stopped his header on the goal-line in the 64^th minute.

Majidi finally triggered celebrations in the dugout and among some 5,000 die-hard fans, heading home a well-flighted cross from Seyyed Abassi on 71 minutes.

Against the run of play, Paykan grabbed the equalizer one minute from the normal time in a counterattack.

Davud Haqdust’s low pass in the six-yard area found Bahman Tahmsbi, who side-footed in to salvage a late point out of the thriller.

Esteqlal was not lucky enough to score the winner in the stoppage time as substitute striker Faraz Fatemi’s header was sent out by Paykan defender.

The blues remain at the top on 45 points while Pas lies in the second spot, winning 44 points.

On Saturday, Sepahan celebrated its first win in the new Iranian calendar year, beating Esteqlal of southern city Ahvaz.

The home side handed the blue-clad Esteqlal a 4-2 defeat in Naqsh-e Jahan stadium.

Striker Rassul Khatibi opened the score for Sepahan in the 17^th minute.

The visitor received another blow as Nasser Shirdel was sent off by referee in the 45th minute.

Adriano Always equalized the match 10 minutes into the second half, but Leon Estepanian's curling free-kick made it 2-1 for the second IPL champion Sepahan eight minutes later and Saeid Ramezani and Asghar Taleb-Nassab grabbed the Isfahani side's third and fourth on 74 and 82 minutes.

Milad Mir-Davudi scored Esteqlal's consolation goal one minute before the normal time.

In other games played Sunday, Pas was held by Fajr-e Sepassi 1-1 in Shiraz, capital of Fars Province, Fulad handed the bottom-placed SAIPA a 1-0 in Takhti stadium of southern city Ahvaz, and Abu Moslem and the visiting Barq struggled to a goalless draw on the pitch of Mashhad’s Takhti stadium.

CONTROVERSIAL WIN

National skipper Ali Daei hit twice to help his side Persepolis see off Shamushak in a 23rd-week match of the third Iran Pro League Sunday.

Playing on the rain-soaked field of the 100,000-seater Azadi stadium, western Tehran, the red-clad Persepolis took the lead in the 27^th minute from the penalty spot.

Referee Farajollah Yasrebi was the target of the visitor’s players and manager Akbar Missaqian, who invaded the pitch as he rewarded the kick spot for a controversial handball.

The home team’s lead took just two minutes as Akbar Shokati’s low shot from just behind the area found its way through the crowded box to the net.

Persepolis came close to the second six minutes before the break when Ali Salmassi receiving a superb pass from Daei unbelievably steered the ball toward the near post.

The reds were too lucky to fall behind after the restart.

Abdollah Shah-Hosseini and Mohammadreza Khal’atbari hit the post and crossbar but it was Persepolis, which grabbed the winner.

Daei celebrated his own and side’s second three minutes from the time, heading home a curling pass from Ali Salmani.

The win helped Persepolis leapfrog Sepahan due to better goal difference, standing fifth on 36 points.

KK/IS

END

MNA