Mes Shahre Babak drew 1-1 with Heybar Khorramabad in the Persian Gulf Pro League on Wednesday. The result keeps both sides in difficult positions early in the campaign. By then, the hosts were already looking for their first victory after five matches without a win.
The match took an early turn when A. Safarzadeh received a yellow card in the fourteenth minute. Things came to a head shortly after, with a red card shown without a named player in the sixteenth minute. Safarzadeh collected another yellow in the eighteenth, followed by his own dismissal.
Mes Shahre Babak took the lead in the twenty-second minute through M. Mohebi. The home side never got out of first gear after that, but Heybar Khorramabad found an equaliser through Z. Niknafs in the seventy-first minute. Substitutions came throughout the second half as both managers tried to shift momentum.
The statistics tell a story of discipline rather than dominance. Mes Shahre Babak kept their discipline better, showing one yellow card and no reds. Heybar Khorramabad handed away two red cards against two yellows. The away side cannot afford another slip after this performance.
The draw leaves Mes Shahre Babak sixteenth with four points from five games. Heybar Khorramabad sit eighth on six points, one win and three draws so far. The result extended the hosts' winless run and brought the visitors back to even ground after recent inconsistency.