Striker Lanre Kehinde's 63rd minute goal was enough to earn Maccabi's Under-19s their fifth consecutive home win, 1-0 against Hapoel Haifa
Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s registered their seventh win in their last eight games with a 1-0 home win over Hapoel Haifa at the Kiryat Shalom training ground. With just six matches left to the season, the squad at Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" knew that only a win would enable them to keep the pressure on the league leaders, Maccabi Haifa. A lone second-half goal by Nigerian striker Lanre Kehinde proved sufficient to earn Maccabi their fifth consecutive home win and keep them just seven points off the pace in the league table.
The last time the two sides met, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" were still nursing a bad run of form and went away with an important 1-0 victory. This time they had the wind at their backs after their best results of the season and hoped to continue that trend against footballing Haifa's red half, Hapoel. The first opportunity of the match fell to striker Dor Jan, whose shot on goal was deflected by Hapoel keeper Yarden Krishtol. At the other end Maccabi keeper Gal Tovali also had to be quick with his hands to push away a strike by Hapoel's Adir Dahan. A single effort by Maccabi defender Dean Akafi was the only other interruption in what was an otherwise uneventful and goalless first half for both sides.
After the restart the pace of the match accelerated with threats on goal by both sides, Maccabi in particular. Substitute midfielder Daniel Gretz, who scored last week's winner against Maccabi Petah Tikva, provided Lanre Kehinde with an excellent scoring opportunity but the striker shot wide. Dor Jan once again tried his luck but ultimately it was a 63rd minute header by Kehinde off a long ball by midfielder Daniel Shvarzboim that sailed over Hapoel keeper Krishtol's head for the Nigerian's fifth league goal, his sixth in all competitions.
The lads in yellow held on to the slim lead until the final whistle to book their second 1-0 victory over Hapoel Haifa this season. The win maintained the status quo in the national Under-19 Premier League table, with league leaders Maccabi Haifa winning against Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Next week Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will visit the "Hatikva" neighbourhood in Tel Aviv for the "little" derby against municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda.
Line-up: Gal Tuvali, Shachar Feban, Osher Abu, Daniel Shvarzboim, Shaun Goldberg, Yarden Pinto, Dudi Aviv, , Sharon Ziso, Dean Akafi, Lanre Kehinde, Dor Jan
