Another Saturday of goals and victories galore in Maccabi's Youth Division
Saturday's slate of Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division fixtures began with the Under-17s, who played their game in hand at Ashdod FC and turned it into a 1-11 rout. Ofri Mashta led the assault with a hat-trick, but three different Maccabi Tel Aviv "Oded" players scored a brace each: Omer Lakao, Almog Eylon and Ron Gabay. Ran Vaturi and Lenny Aharon rounded off the scoring and helped head coach Eliezer Ben Aharon's team to climb to the top of the national U17 Premier League table, a point ahead of title rivals Maccabi Haifa, with nine games left to the season.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eli Fuchs" were able to maintain their pre-eminence in the nationwide U16 League South table courtesy of a 0-5 away win at Maccabi Shoham. Neil Goldberg scored twice, Prince Thomas and Rom Wasserman once each, with a Shoham own goal completing the impressive scoreline that sends head coach Shlomi Mitelka's lads three points clear of nearest rivals Maccabi Petach Tikva. Despite playing out a 3-3 draw against Hapoel Jerusalem, Maccabi's Under-15 Team 1 also managed to hold on to the top spot in the nationwide U15 Central District table, albeit with a decreased six-point margin ahead of Jerusalem's second U15 team, Beitar. All three of Maccabi Tel Aviv "Eldad"'s goals were scored by Muflah Shla'ata.
But it wasn't only league duties that occupied the Youth Division on Saturday, as a number of the teams were also involved in contests for advancement to the final stages of their respective State Cup competitions. Head coach Ori David's Under-14 Team South booked their place in the semi-finals after a 4-1 home win against Beitar Jerusalem. Tal Yagudaev produced a hat-trick and Omri Ram added the fourth for the home side. Maccabi's Under-14 Team North also passed their quarter-final test, but in far more dramatic fashion. They were hosted by Hapoel Ra'anana and at the end of regulation time the scoreboard showed three goals for each side. Only in the ensuing penalty shoot-out did head coach Asaf Profeta's charges succeed in showing their superiority, overturning a 3-3 draw in favour of a 4-2 triumph. The only Youth Division team to see their advance in State Cup competition halted were the Under 13 Team North, who succumbed to Maccabi Haifa 3-6.
