Despite constant pressure on the opposition goal, Maccabi's Under-19s managed only one goal in a 1-1 home draw against Hapoel Haifa
With only three matches to play and trailing league leaders Maccabi Haifa by six points, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s today welcomed Hapoel Haifa to the Kiryat Shalom training ground hoping to keep a hand in the title race. Head coach Ziv Arie's lads made their intentions clear from the very start of the match, immediately putting the opposition goal under pressure. With just two minutes gone midfielder Dor Peretz, returning to form after a long injury, missed scoring his first goal of the season by a whisker. Before the half hour mark, midfielders Sheked Azulai and Eliel Peretz, who scored a brace in last week's Tel Aviv derby, had both come close to beating Hapoel Haifa keeper Romeo Nofi, the latter with a powerful shot that hit the post. Close to half time Ofek Barzani, playing in attack, tried his luck as well but could only hit the side netting.
In the second half Eliel Peretz was again on the prowl and came close just after the restart. Dor Peretz too continued to threaten and forced a good save from the Hapoel Haifa keeper with a long range effort. Amid all this pressure and against the run of play, a Hapoel Haifa corner glanced off defender Shachar Fiban into the Maccabi net. Five minutes later, "Shachar" were on equal terms when defender Guy Aviv, deputised into the Maccabi attack, mastered an accurate long ball from Dor Peretz and fired past Romeo Nofi. In the dying moments substitute striker Amit Farhi hit the post and midfielders Daniel Gretz and an excellent Dor Peretz also came close, but their efforts were cleared off the line or deflected by the keeper and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
After Maccabi Haifa lost their Saturday tie 0-1 to Maccabi Petach Tikva, Maccabi's Under-19s maintain a theoretical chance of reaching the top. Next week "Shachar" will travel to Haifa to face the league leaders in their penultimate match of the season.
