Persian Gulf Pro League:
Sepahan held at Malavan as Tractor is back on top
Sepahan was held to a 1-1 stalemate at Malavan FC in the Persian Gulf Pro League on Friday.
A second successive draw away from home saw the Isfahan-based club drop to second in the Iranian top-flight table with 40 points.
Reza Shekari put the visitors in front with three minutes in to the game on a rain-soaked pitch at the Sirous Qayeqran Stadium, before Amirreza Afsordeh drew Malavan level on the hour mark as the home side’s winless run in the league extended to nine games.
Sepahan is now one point adrift of Tractor, which walked away with a massive 1-0 over Zob Ahan in Isfahan on the preceding night.
Croatian Domagoj Drozdek, who joined Tractor in January, came off the bench in the second half to find the net in the 89th minute and help Dragan Skocic’s side move back atop the table.
Elsewhere, third-place Foolad Khuzestan blew the chance to close the gap on Sepahan after a 2-0 defeat at Khaybar on Friday.
Faraz Emam-Ali headed home in the 14th minute and new signing Mohammad-Javad Mohammadi bagged his second goal in as many games for the home side to lift Khaybar to 12th in the table with 20 points – four clear of the relegation zone.
Nassaji Mazandaran remained second from bottom after sharing the spoils with Chadormalou in a goalless game at home.
There were also no goals between Mes and Esteghlal in Rafsanjan, which helped the former move above Shams Azar into 13th on goal difference, while Esteghlal remained ninth with 23 points.
Shams Azar suffered a first defeat in four games under new head coach Mahdi Rahmati on Thursday, losing 1-0 to Esteghlal Khuzestan in Ahvaz, courtesy of Mahmoud Motalaqzadeh’s 56th minute strike.