Fajr holds 10-man Persepolis

MNA – Fajr-e Sepassi held the visiting Persepolis to a 1-1 draw in the 25th week of the sixth Iran Pro League (IPL) in Hafezieh Stadium in Shiraz, the capital of southern province of Fars, Sunday.

The red-shirted Persepolis made scores of attacks on Fajr’s woodwork, but it was the home side that celebrated the opener in the 63rd minute.

In a swift counterattack, Reza Khaleqi beat Persepolis keeper Farshid Karimi with a left drive.

Referee Seyyed Ahmad Salehi refused to award the visitor a spot-kick for a handball and sent off Persepolis midfielder Pejman Nuri on 75 minutes for his second bookable offense while the player seemed to have tripped by his marker in the area.

However, Persepolis heaped the pressure until the judge showed the penalty spot after a foul on striker Hossein Badamaki four minutes later.

Farzad Ashubi sent the goalie the wrong way, scoring the equalizer with a side-footed kick.

The draw helped Persepolis retain the fifth place in the 16-strong table on 38 points and Fajr lies in the 10th spot with 30 points.

In another game in Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium in western Tehran, Pas and Isfahan’s Sepahan fought to a goalless draw.