Enayati hat-trick humbles Foulad

IRNA, Tehran
Top marksman Gholam-Reza Enayeti hit his treble to give the pacesetter Esteqlal a 4-1 win over the visiting holder Foulad in Azadi Stadium, west of the capital, Thursday.

The defense-minded Foulad received a blow after 32 minutes as Mohsen Hamidi was sent off by referee Khodadad Afsharian for his second bookable offense.

Enayati, who missed a scoring chance in the 22nd minute, capitalized on an error-prone national keeper Ebrahim Mirzapour blunder just before halftime, put the Blues ahead.

Mirzapour failed to save a curling cross from left winger Alireza Vahedi-Nikbakht, leaving the ball in the path of unmarked Enayati, who found the net with a coolly side-footed drive.

The southerners, however, leveled the match two minutes into second half when Esteqlal goalie Vahid Taleblou let a Pejman Montazeri header find striker Adel Kolah-Kaj in the goalmouth.

Esteqlal retook the lead on 56 minutes through midfielder Hossein Kazemi, whose wonderful 35-yard kick landed in with Mirzapour looking on.

The home side rued the third one minute later when a playmaker Mojtaba Jabbari drive did not find a Blue boot across the woodwork.

But the popular team made it 3-1 in the 67th minute. Nikbakht failing to beat Mirzapour passed the rebound for striker Siavash Akbarpour, whose shot was also palmed away, but Enayati made no mistake at third attempt, sending the ball into the unguarded net.

Foulad was reduced to nine men seven minutes from normal time.

Substitute Lefteh Hamidi pressed his “self-destruct” button when he booted Nikbakht off the ball.

Enayati completed the southerners’ rout in the last minute, dispossessing the defender of the ball and beating a surrendered Mirzapour.

Esteqlal is on top of the fifth Iran Pro League table with 55 points out of 28 games.

Sepahan hammers Fajr

Sepahan whitewashed the visiting Fajr-e Sepassi 3-0 in the 28th week of the fifth Iran Pro League in Naqsh-e Jahan Stadium, central capital Isfahan, Thursday.

Midfielder Moharram Navidkia hit his double on 25 and 33 minutes and striker Rassoul Khatibi celebrated the third after concerting a spot-kick 11 minutes from time.

Fajr missed a penalty kick in the 56th minute when Vahid Rezaei sent the ball out.

Referee Navid Mozaffari and linesmen Hossein Nejati and Safdar Ahmadi judged the match.

Sepahan is sixth on 39 points and Fajr lies in the 10th place with 36.

Pas beats Barq to keep title tussle alive

Pas snatched a 3-1 away victory over lowly Barq in the southern capital Shiraz Thursday, keeping the two-horse title race alive.

Pas that badly needed a win to keep sticking to the table-topper Esteqlal’s heels silenced some 6,000 fans in Hafezieh Stadium with Iman Razzaqi scoring after six minutes.

Barq striker Mehdi Shiri, however, sent a chill down Pas manager Mustafa Denizli’s spine nine minutes after the interval, securing the parity.

But the Turkish trainer had Razzaqi to thank for doubling his own and Pas tally in the 75th minute.

Pas breathed a sigh of relief as the third came one minute into stoppage time through Kianoush Rahmati.

The police side, Pas, is second after 28 games with 52 points, three shy of Esteqlal’s asset.

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	Teams	Pts	GD	Pld
1	Bargh Shiraz	10	+6	4
2	Zob Ahan	10	+3	4
3	Perspolis	8	+3	4
4	Mes Kerman	6	+2	4
5	Foolad Khuzestan	6	+1	3
6	Sepahan	6	+2	3
7	Moghavemat Shiraz	5	+1	4
8	Paykan	5	0	4
9	Pegah Gilan	5	0	4
10	Rah Ahan	5	0	4
11	Esteghlal Ahvaz	5	-3	4
12	Esteghlal Tehran	4	0	4
13	Pas Hamadan	4	-3	4
14	Malavan	4	-3	4
15	Saipa Karaj	3	-1	3
16	Aboomoslem	3	-3	4
17	Saba Battery	2	-3	4
18	Payam Mashhad	1	-2	3

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Enayati hat-trick humbles Foulad

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