Beitar Jerusalem yet again squandered an opportunity to win the Premier League title yesterday after losing to a resurgent Bnei Yehuda, 1-0 at home.
The match was Beitar's second consecutive defeat, while it was Bnei Yehuda's sixth win in a row. This marked an incredible revival in the hopes of the Tel Aviv team to avoid relegation, which only a few weeks ago almost seemed a certainty. Maccabi Netanya, which is second in the league, now trails only six points behind Beitar and is for the first time realistically threatening its lead.
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Bnei Yehuda's Moshe Biton scored the winning goal in the 39th minute when he nudged the ball past Beitar's keeper, after an excellent pass by teammate Tamir Kahlon cut through Jerusalem's defense.
The visitors played better than Jerusalem for most of the match and managed to hold on to their lead in the last minutes, securing their victory. Indeed, it seemed nothing could go right for Beitar: In the 28th minute, the automatic sprinkler system at Teddy Stadium turned on, causing the referee to pause the match until the water was stopped.
The match was played in front of an empty stadium becuase of a disciplinary measure enacted against Beitar supporters for the disruption of the team's match against Maccabi Herzliya.
Netanya closing in
Meanwhile, Maccabi Netanya yesterday beat SC Ashdod 1-0 and secured its participation next season in the UEFA Cup. The winning goal came in the 66th minute when Maccabi Netanya's Francis Kioyo sent a thundering header past the goalie from a corner kick taken by Yehiel Tzagai.
"Ask me about the championship if we beat Beitar," Netanya coach Reuven Atar said. "We're still pretty much behind, but we'll prepare for them and do our best to win." Ashdod dropped to the last place in the league as a result of its defeat.
In Sakhnin, Hapoel Tel Aviv moved further away from relegation after beating local Bnei Sakhnin 1-0.
The league's other northern team, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, allowed Maccabi Herzliya to come back from two goals down to tie the match at 2 all. Herzliya's Yossi Biton scored an own goal and Peter Ofori-Quaye added another to make it 2-0 to Kiryat Shmona at halftime. But Herzliya struck back in the second half thanks to an own goal by Kiryat Shmona's Tomer Hemed and a goal in the 90th minute by Avi Rikan. "We should have won," Kiryat Shmona coach Ran Ben Shimon grumbled after the match. "What a waste."
In the match of the round's games that took place yesterday, Maccabi Petah Tikva defeated Hapoel Kfar Sava 1-0.
Today Maccabi Haifa plays against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the last match of the league round.
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