Tight battles as Israeli teams still hitting stride

High-energy, European-level games have defined this dynamic season so far.

Visiting Hapoel Beersheba blanked Maccabi Haifa 1-0 at Sammy Ofer Stadium to close out the weekly Israel Premier League slate thanks to a second-half goal by Dan Bitton, who now has eight on the season.

Beersheba head coach Ron Kozuk spoke about the win.

“I think it was a great game to see the character of the players. The fans really kept the energy up and it was a European level game. It could have opened up but we had to take it step by step and wait for the right opportunity. We are always pressing high and we try to get to the goal as fast as possible in order to take advantage of an opportunity that may come about.”

Greens’ bench boss Diego Flores also shared his thoughts on the contest.

“I’m very disappointed with the result, we had chances before their goal and the attitude of the team was better than last match. It’s difficult to analyze the defeat when you are in it and get nothing. We need to keep working and ready for these types of matches.”

In other action, Beitar Jerusalem defeated Maccabi Bnei Reineh 3-1 as the yellow-and-black scored a trio of unanswered goals as the captain Yarden Shua scored a penalty and added an assist in the win.

Antonio Sefer opened the scoring for Reineh with an 18th-minute penalty, but Shua drew Beitar even at 1-1 via the spot deep into first-half injury time. As the two sides played tight soccer in the second half, Omer Atzily nodded in a perfect pass from Shua late in the game while Johnbosco Kalu fired the third goal into the net to give Beitar the victory.

Barak Itzhaki spoke about the hard-earned win.

'It's fun to win'

“Of course it’s fun to win. Lately, even in wins, there have been tense moments. It’s important to know how to take points especially in the tougher periods.”

Slobodan Drapic, on the losing side, said at the end of the match: “No one wants to feel the way I did when Atzili scored the comeback goal with that header… We could’ve taken a point, it’s a shame, but Beitar was better.”

Meanwhile, Hapoel Tel Aviv slipped by Hapoel Haifa 1-0 as Roy Korine scored the long goal of the game in the 84th minute to hand the Reds the three points at Bloomfield Stadium.

The hosts poured on the offense throughout the first half but couldn’t find a way past the stingy Carmel defense. The visitors had a chance to take the lead against the run of play, but Tamir Arbel’s penalty was smartly saved by Assaf Tzur as he dove to his left to keep the match goalless.

Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Elyaniv Barda made wholesale substitutions as Roy Korine scored the decisive goal off of the bench as he took a long ball from Andrian Kraev, dribbled and unleashed a left-footed stunner past a helpless Niv Atman to hand the Reds the win.

Barda spoke about the victory.

“We have plenty of work to do. We played a very good opponent and we created a ton of chances but we didn’t have what we really needed in the last third of the pitch. We had many opportunities and with that amount of opportunities we should have easily scored a number of goals. We could have lost the game on the penalty but we were able to come through.”

Bnei Sakhnin held Maccabi Tel Aviv to a goalless draw at Doha Stadium as the teams split the points.

Glid Otanga picked up an early red card on a reckless tackle on Ido Shahar reducing the hosts to 10 men, but Sharon Mimer’s team was able to hold the yellow-and-blue off.

As the game hit second-half injury time, Sakhnin ’keeper Mohammed Abu Nil was sent off after his challenge for the ball with Tyrese Asante which was good for a penalty. Defender Eyad Abu Abaid moved into goal for the penalty but Sagiv Yehezkel’s weak spot kick hit the post as Sakhnin was able to hold on to take a point for its efforts.

“They defended well, congratulations to them for their performance,” a disappointed Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zarko Lazetic began. “We were rash in our decisions in the first half, what happened afterwards you saw. We got a point from the game and we will learn the lesson. It is very difficult to find the spaces on this pitch, the grass was in very bad condition and in such games you have to score from set pieces or clear chances.”

Mimer also spoke about the game.

The emotions of the game

“Sometimes there are emotions of a game. Let everyone be clear, I never complain about refereeing errors but sometimes I feel like I don’t get the same treatment and respect as the other team. Immediately, the trigger is quick against smaller teams and not as harsh against big teams. We want to get the treatment we deserve, we’re from the same league. We want to feel like we get equal treatment, not necessarily in this game but in every game.”

Ironi Tiberias blanked Hapoel Petah Tikva 2-0 as a pair of second half goals by the visitors snagged the points.

Following a goalless first half, both sides were handed red cards as each team lost a man due to reckless tackles, however, that didn’t bother Elliran Hodeida’s squad as Guy Hadida scored off a free kick and Stanislav Bilenkyi added a late insurance marker to help Tiberias record its second win of the season.

Maccabi Netanya downed Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 as the diamond city side mounted a second half comeback to snatch the points.

Ilay Madmon scored the opening goal with a long strike in the 39th minute to give the capital city Reds a 1-0 lead at the break. But Wilson Harris headed home the equalizer in the 74th minute while Matheus Davo added Netanya’s second goal 14 minutes later from inside the box to wrap up the win.

Finally, Ashdod SC sunk Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2-0 as Eugene Ansah scored a brace to help the port city side to the win.

Adrian Ugarizza found the back of the goal first to give the visitors a 1-0, but it didn’t last to long as Ansah nodded home the typing goal and then beat Kiryat Shmona ’keeper Daniel Tenenbaum for a second time to help Haim Silvas’s squad to the win.

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