With an important 2-3 away win against Hapoel Ramat Hasharon, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s reduced the gap behind league leaders Maccabi Haifa to only two points. Yonatan Cohen (10'), Ofek Barzani (28') and Maxim Grechkin (60') scored the goals
Matchweek 25 of the national Under-19 Premier League provided Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" with the opportunity to close in on the league leaders, and after winning away 2-3 at Hapoel Ramat Hasharon's Grundman Stadium news of Maccabi Haifa's goalless draw at Beitar Jerusalem did just that: Two points are now all that separate Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s from their northern namesakes. The road they took to achieve it was not an easy one. Head coach Ziv Arie's lads started out very brightly and immediately showed their intentions, with two early chances for defender Saar Kalderon, both stopped by the Hasharon goalkeeper, and a header by midfielder Dan Glazer that was cleared off the line. Ten minutes into the match, Maccabi's intentions became reality as a quick break down the right by defender Guy Aviv finished with a splendid cross to striker Yonatan Cohen, who finished adroitly from close range for his seventh goal of the season.
The hosts tried to get back into the match but Maccabi keeper Sahar Hason prevented Ramat Hasharon's Bar Shen Tov from scoring. This enabled striker Ofek Barzani to double Maccabi's lead just short of the half hour mark when Dan Glazer's long ball left him with just the keeper to beat. Shortly afterwards Guy Aviv was once again in action on the flank but his finish sailed over the net. Ramat Hasharon managed to reduce the deficit before the half courtesy of Sahar Danan, but Maccabi went into the break still leading 1-2.
After the restart, Maccabi coach Arie made a number of substitutions and one of them, midfielder Dor Peretz, paid off immediately as he came close to scoring twice within a minute. It was just after this bright opening by the visitors that the home side scored on the break, courtesy of Ryan Gerchard, but the parity lasted only three minutes. Another "Shachar" substitute, Maxim Grechkin, scored after a quick break at the other end finished with a double pass that left the midfielder on his own facing the Sharon keeper. Midfielder Sohil Armeli hoped to score Maccabi's fourth goal with an overhead kick, but Grechkin's goal proved to be the last one of the match and when the Under-19s returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv's Kiryat Shalom training ground, they took all three points with them.
This 2-3 victory reduces Maccabi Haifa's lead over Maccabi Tel Aviv at the top of the Israeli Under-19 Premier League to two points with just five matches remaining to the season. Next Saturday Maccabi's Under-19s will host Beitar Jerusalem at Kiryat Shalom.
