Orazov Mergen’s side shaded the contest in front of their own fans with Resul Hojayew blazing his fourth-minute effort high over the bar as the home side made a bright start. Dayanc Meredow’s attempt was blocked by the Golgohar defence soon after.

It was the visitors who went closest to scoring in the opening half, with Omid Alishah unleashing a right-foot shot from a tight angle on the left that forced Kakageldi Berdiyew into a flying save in the 19th minute.

Arkadag, though, were to have chances of their own with Hojayew’s deft glanced header from Yazgylyc Gurbanow’s corner two minutes later flying across the face of the Golgohar goal and wide of the far post in a near miss for the visitors.

Another Hojayew attempt four minutes from the interval narrowly missed the top corner of the Iranian side’s goal.

Eleven minutes after the restart, Meredow’s deflected attempt from 20 yards out almost caught out Golgohar goalkeeper Farzin Garousian, while the midfielder was again denied by a last ditch block from Alireza Alizadeh several minutes later.

Hojayew went closer still in the 64th minute when he swept his left-foot shot against the Golgohar crossbar while Arzuwguly Sapargulyyev’s 76th minute attempt was kept out by Garousian.

There was nothing the Iranian goalkeeper could do a minute later, though, to prevent Arkadag from going in front. Sapargulyyev’s cross from the left was only partially cleared and, when the ball fell to Atayew, his low left-foot strike found the back of the net.

Ssapargulyyev was denied Arkadag’s second with six minutes remaining when Garousian used his legs to keep another his attempt to steer the ball home from a tight angle on the left but Atayew’s strike was enough to ensure the home side took the points.