MNA – TEHRAN, Top three teams, Fulad, Zob Ahan and Persepolis, remained in their places as they extracted three points at the 17th week of the fourth Iran Pro League Friday. Leader Fulad took an early winner when Saman Mussavi scored the sole goal of the match against visitor Abu Moslem in the fourth minute in Takhti Stadium of Ahvaz.

The victory helped the southerners extend their leadership on 37 points. In Isfahan, Zob Ahan saw off the struggling Saipa 1-0 to secure its second place in the table with a 32-point asset. The visiting Persepolis fought back to beat Barq 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd in Hafezieh Stadium in Shiraz.

Persepolis striker Javad Kazemian canceled out Farid Abedi’s 24-minute opener with an equalizer two minutes into stoppage time and the visitor’s advancing Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi drilled home in a crowded area on 46 minutes to wrap up a victory over Barq. The home team could level the match in the 59th minute but Abedi unbelievably hit the ball against the crossbar from close range.

On Thursday’s games, Esteqlal of Tehran had striker Gholam-Reza Enayati to thank for his hat-trick that helped the blues beat city rival Saba Battery 3-1 and Esteqlal of Ahvaz defeated Sepahan at home 1-0 thanks to a goal by Hojjat Zad-Mahmud. Three more matches were played Friday.

Malavan crushed Pegah 3-0 in a derby in Rasht as Ali Qorbani found the net in the 45th and 52nd minutes and Mohammad Gholamin completed the Pegah rout on 70 minutes. The newly-appointed Turkish trainer Mustafa Denizli celebrated his second victory when Pas overcame Paykan 2-0 in Iran Khodro Stadium. National midfielder Javad Nekunam converted two penalty kicks.

Shamushak handed the visitor Fajr 1-0 in Shohada Stadium of the northern city Noshahr. Yunes Gerayeli grabbed the winner on 42 minutes.