The 11th round of the National League kicked off today (Friday) with five games, when Maccabi Petah Tikva beat Hapoel Kfar Saba 3:1 and kept the top. Hapoel Acre was tied 1:1 against Hapoel Ramat Gan and Hapoel Petah Tikva lost 2:0 to Hapoel Rishon Lezion.
Hapoel Kfar Saba – Maccabi Petah Tikva 3:1
After being tied in the previous round with 1:1 against Maccabi Cavillio Jaffa, the Malaves came back to win and kept the top of the national league. Ohad Hazut surprised and put the guest in the lead in the 11th minute, before Ilya Shekorin (13) equalized the score. Tal Ben Haim scored again from the penalty spot (29) and he also remains at the top of the goal kingship with eight goals from the start of the season. Moti Berschatsky scored the third in the 42nd minute after a nice preparatory action by Idan Toklomati.
Hapoel Ramat Gan – Hapoel Acre 1:1
Both teams came with winning streaks – the host with three, the guest with five. The hit of the league, which rose to second place in the last round, scored first after a successful penalty by Reva Esseig in the 25th minute. Or Desa equalized just before halftime when the midfielder’s kick hit an Acre defender and went into the net. A disappointing draw for the guests who remain one place below Maccabi Petah Tikva.
Hapoel Petah Tikva – Hapoel Rishon LeZion 2:0
A big surprise was registered at the Mosheva Stadium when Hapoel Rishon Lezion defeated Hapoel Petah Tikva, which moved away from the urban rival at the top to nine points. Yuval Sasson was the one who gave the Oranges a surprising lead in the 58th minute and brought Rishon Lezion out of the small crisis after three games without a win. The guests’ second came from a wonderful goal (84) by Ohad Barzilai after a bad start by the goalkeeper. Calls for Tselpapa to resign from Petah Tikva fans at the final whistle.
Hapoel Umm El Fachem – Maccabi Ahi Nazareth 0:3
Precisely after it managed to stop the streak of losses, Ahi Nazareth saw Umm Al Fahem score twice in the first half and close the story on the way to a second victory in a row. Sameh Marab gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute when Amit Mahajana scored the second in extra time of the first half. Umm Al Fahm’s third came in the 90th minute from the feet of Mohammed in Darna. Earlier, Alfa Mamadou left the visitors with ten men after seeing a red card in the 38th minute.
Hapoel Afula – Hapoel Nir Ramat Hasharon 0:0
The mid-table game between Afula and Ramat Hasharon did not provide spectacular football, but after the losses in the last round of both teams, they were happy to take solace in an important point that left them close enough to the upper playoff battles and the promotion battles to the Premier League.