Maccabi have gone top of the table after beating Ashdod FC 0-1 courtesy of a superb first-half winner by Nikola Mitrovic
The last time Maccabi Tel Aviv won at Ashdod FC's "Hayud Alef" Stadium was on Sept. 27th 2010, but tonight (Saturday) the reigning champions returned to the top of the Israeli Premier League table after winning there 0-1. A dazzling strike from Serbian midfielder Nikola Mitrovic six minutes before the half put the visitors ahead, a lead that they held on to until the end of the match, with the help of a number of excellent saves by Maccabi keeper Juan Pablo. Maccabi Tel Aviv have now gone six league matches without conceding, 623 minutes in all, establishing a new club record for consecutive league match minutes without an opposition goal, last established at 610 during the 1974/75 season.
A meagre and largely home-side crowd of 2,400 spectators saw the first half open without significant scoring opportunities by either side. On six minutes Maccabi midfielder Eran Zahavi tried his luck from distance but shot over. At the other end Ashdod's best chance of the half came on 19 minutes when midfielder Or Inbroom pounced on a ball inside the Maccabi area but shot wide. Just past the half-hour mark, Maccabi winger Tal Ben Haim worked himself from the left into open space in the area and released a hard shot that Ashdod keeper Ofir Marziano managed to block. But it was on 39 minutes that Nikola Mitrovic produced his personal moment of magic, taking a pass in space from Ben Chaim on the right and curling in a superb shot from 25 metres to the upper right-hand corner of the net that left Marziano, the Israeli national keeper, with no chance of a save. Three minutes from the break Ashdod forward Murad Abu Anza broke through the Maccabi defence to get off a good shot on goal, saved heroically by Juan Pablo.
The second half was a more balanced affair, with one of the more notable events the sending of Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran off the touchline by referee Liran Wachsberger for a heated exchange with the linesman. On 72 minutes Maccabi midfielder Dor Micha crossed back into the area from the right but Eran Zahavi's header in front of the keeper was blocked. In the following four minutes Juan Pablo guaranteed the team's establishing a new club record for consecutive goalless minutes on the pitch with two invaluable saves, one from substitute striker Niv Zrihan who faced him on his own, the second from Nigerian striker Yero Bello who fired accurately from the edge of the area. But in the end it was Mitrovic's first-half winner that put an end to Maccabi Tel Aviv's four-and-a half year victory drought in Ashdod as the visitors held on to win 0-1.
After a mid-week State Cup tie against Hapoel Ashkelon at Bloomfield Stadium on Tuesday at 9pm, Maccabi will return to league duties on Monday Feb. 2nd when they host a Tel Aviv derby at 8.55pm against municipal archrivals Hapoel Tel Aviv.
