Persian Gulf Pro League:
Golgohar beats Persepolis to go top, adds to Reds misery
Golgohar Sirjan climbed to the top of the Persian Gulf Pro League table with a commanding 3-1 home victory over Persepolis, piling further pressure on Reds head coach Osmar Loss Vieira.
All four goals came from long range in an entertaining contest in Sirjan. Pouya Pourali and Pouria Latififar struck superb volleys from outside the box to hand the hosts a two-goal advantage. Persepolis responded deep into first-half stoppage time when Uzbek international Igor Sergeev unleashed a powerful effort to reduce the deficit.
Latififar restored Golgohar’s two-goal cushion seven minutes after the restart, netting his second of the afternoon to seal a significant win. The result lifts Golgohar to 36 points, one clear of nearest challengers Tractor, Esteghlal and Sepahan, whose fixtures were postponed due to commitments in Asian competitions.
For Persepolis, it marked a fourth defeat in six matches, leaving the Tehran side fifth on 34 points and under mounting scrutiny as the title race intensifies.
Elsewhere, a 90th-minute strike from Aref Qazal secured a 1-0 home victory for Khaybar Khorramabad against Malavan. The win moved head coach Mahdi Rahmati’s side up to ninth on 26 points, two adrift of seventh-placed Malavan.
At the foot of the table, Mes Rafsanjan boosted its survival hopes with a 2-0 away win over 10-man Paykan in Tehran.
Reza Jabireh opened the scoring just two minutes into the match, before Paykan winger Farid Amiri was shown a red card four minutes later. Saman Nariman-Jahan doubled the lead six minutes after the interval against his former club, helping Mes – still bottom with 15 points – claim only its third win in 21 league outings.
Paykan remains 13th on 22 points, three clear of the relegation zone.