Beersheba puts pressure on top three teams

Hapoel Beersheba thumped Maccabi Bnei Reineh 4-2 in Israel Premier League action this week as Eden Shamir scored an early pair of goals to set the tone.

Shamir scored his first goal off a beautiful Yoni Stayonov pass in the 15th minute while he completed his brace a quarter-hour later as he headed home the second goal of the game to give the Southern Reds a 2-0 lead.

Loei Halaf pulled back a goal for Bnei Reineh a few minutes later, but Helder Lopes nodded in a goal of his own in the 53rd minute and two minutes later Roie Gordana scored to give Beersheba a 4-1 advantage. Shlomi Azoulay scored a late marker, but that would be as close as the visitors would get as Elyaniv Barda’s team took the three points.

“We had one of our best first halves of the season and we still went into the break only with a one-goal lead,” Barda said. “I’m happy that we began the second half really well and that we scored two goals. We had some tough games not too long ago, but we have been able to work hard and really turn it around. I’m really happy that we are playing much better of late.”

At Sammy Ofer Stadium, Maccabi Haifa dropped Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 as Frantzdy Pierrot scored the winner just ahead of the halftime break to take the win.

Sean Goldberg gave the Greens the lead in the ninth minute, but Matan Hozez drew the Capital City Reds even 20 minutes later from the penalty spot. However, Pierrot put home a rebound in the 44th minute to put Messay Dego’s team in front for good as it picked up the victory.

“There was pressure coming in after having drawn twice,” Dego began. “I told the guys that we may not play great but we have to make sure that we collect the three points. We played against a very good and organized club and I am happy that we did what needed to. The gap to Maccabi Tel Aviv dropped to eight points and I believe that every league game is up to us and how we come in, including this week’s upcoming game against Maccabi.”

As usual I’m disappointed once again in a game against Maccabi Haifa,” Jerusalem coach Ziv Arie said. “Just like in the first game versus Haifa we got a bit too comfortable controlling the ball easily and that made us soft. Our defense in the final third didn’t have enough patience.”

Meanwhile, Hapoel Hadera surprised Maccabi Tel Aviv holding the yellow-and-blue to a 1-1 draw.

Elad Madmon stunned Maccabi by giving Hadera an early 1-0 lead as Niso Avitan’s sward went into the break holding the slim advantage. Dor Turgeman found the equalizer in the 67th minute, but the visitors were able to hold off a flurry of chances by the hosts to take a hard-earned point.

“This was a very important game that we wanted to go and win,” Maccabi Tel Aviv assistant head coach Rory Delap said in place of the suspended Robbie Keane, who was serving a one-game ban. “We didn’t look like that in the first half second half we did but it was disappointing to concede a goal. More pleased in the second half but we can improve in the final third, we are getting there but it wasn’t enough in this game.”

“The game plan worked very well for what our options were against Maccabi Tel Aviv,” Hadera’s Avitan said. “The gap between the two teams is huge and the only way for us to threaten Maccabi is with counterattacks, which we did very well in the first half but not as good in the second. However, we took a very precious point in this matchup.”

In the capital, Beitar Jerusalem and Ashdod SC drew 1-1 as two second-half goals saw the points split.

Following a goalless first half, Ashdod got on the board first as Jordan Botaka slotted home a 51st-minute penalty, but 20 minutes later Yarden Shua made sure that the hosts wouldn’t finish the game empty-handed as he scored into the right corner of the goal.

“Of course anytime we play at Teddy Stadium we want to win,” said Beitar assistant coach Gal Cohen, who replaced the suspended Yossi Abukasis. “We know that every win will move us closer to the top of the table. We tried to take the three points but it didn’t work out for us and now we have to turn our focus on our next game.”

Also, Maccabi Netanya slipped by Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-1 as Maxim Plakuschenko’s first-half brace handed head coach Guy Tzarfati his fourth win in as many games in charge of the squad.

The Reds grabbed an early lead when Mavis Tchibota jumped all over a defensive lapse by Netanya to give Hapoel a 1-0 lead in the third minute. However, within 20 minutes Plakuschenko found the back of the goal to give the diamond city side the points and the victory.

“We’ve gotten off to a good start since I have been here and I hope that the guys will continue to play as I want them to,” Tzarfati said. “My style is attacking play and I am happy that Maccabi Netanya is allowing me to play that style. I am giving the players a lot of freedom as long as they are going to be responsible defensively and press for the ball.”

Elsewhere, Hapoel Haifa blanked Maccabi Petah Tikva 3-0 as early substitute Yinon Eliyahu set the tone for the victory.

Eliyahu came on for an injured Hatem El Hamed in the 13th minute and before he could even warm up he headed home the opening marker of the game to give the Carmel Reds a 1-0 lead. Liron Sardel doubled the advantage 10 minutes into the second half while Guy Melamed’s 85th-minute penalty polished off the dominant win.

“This was a tough away game and we were able to give some joy to our fans during these tough times,” winning coach Roni Levy said. “This game was really a continuation of our last one and the secret is to be able to take advantage of that and implement those things we did well into the next ones.”

Finally, Bnei Sakhnin and Hapoel Petah Tikva played to a listless goalless draw as the two sides split the points for their efforts up in the Galilee.