Tashkent, June 03 (QNA) -: Substitute Mohammad Reza Khalatbari scored a dramatic winner with virtually the last kick of the match as Iran snatched a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan in Sunday s Group A opener in the final round of qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
 An inspirational performance from Iran goalkeeper Mahdi Rahmati had kept the home side at bay at Jar Stadium before Uzbekistan thought they had finally broken the deadlock with just over a quarter of an hour remaining only for defender Jalal Hosseini to produce a last-ditch goalline clearance to deny captain Odil Akhmedov.
 And with just over 10 seconds remaining of added time, Khalatbari rounded off a swift Iran counterattack to snatch all three points despite the visitors being forced onto the back foot for the majority of an entertaining 90 minutes.(QNA)