Maccabi's U19s played out their first goalless draw of the season against Maccabi Netanya
After ending a run of three defeats in all competitions with a convincing 5-0 win at Hapoel Ra'anana last week, Maccabi's Under-19s set out today for a tricky away tie at Maccabi Netanya. With their lead at the top of the U19 Premier League recently reduced from nine to five points, victory today would have proved an important tool in maintaining their league supremacy. Unfortunately their resolute opponents had other ideas as Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" were held to their first goalless draw of the season. Head coach Ziv Arie's lads pressed their opponents throughout the contest but were unable to find the net and in the end were forced to share the points. And with their closest title rivals Maccabi Haifa winning again today, "Schachar"'s lead at the top was reduced to three points.
Maccabi Netanya's Under-19s have run an erratic course in the league so far this season, so it was down to the players of Maccabi Tel Aviv to set the tone from the start of the match, and that tone was attacking the opposition goal. The U19 Premier League's leading goalscorer, Yonatan Cohen, failed early on to get past Netanya keeper Dean Gal with a powerful shot and the team's subsequent pressure proved unable to create dangerous scoring situations of any significance. Midfielder Sohil Armeli, who scored a brace in last week's triumph against Hapoel Ra'anana, twice tried his luck at long range but to no avail and the final attempt of the goalless first half fell once again to Yonatan Cohen. His free kick had all the markings of posing a threat but was handled well by keeper Gal.
Fifteen minutes after the restart Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" created their most promising scoring opportunity of the match when Sohil Armeli powered into the Netanya area but his finish went wide. Yonatan Cohen also came close with yet another free kick and at the other end Maccabi Netanya also had their moment when Nir Azaria got within a fraction of Haviv Ohayon. But the sixteen year-old Maccabi keeper held his ground and the two sides finished the tie empty-handed, sharing the points of a goalless draw.
For Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s this was only their second draw of the 2014/15 season, and their first without scoring altogether. For Maccabi Netanya, this was their first draw of any sort, but this premier against the league's leading club succeeded in reducing "Shachar"'s advantage to a mere three points after Maccabi Haifa's win at Hapoel Ra'anana. Next week "Shachar" will head out to the nation's capital to face Beitar Jerusalem.
