The club’s Under-19 side hosted Hapoel Petah Tikva on Matchday 28 of the Israel Youth Premier League as the young Yellow & Blue entered the contest in first place with a 3 point lead over Hapoel Raanana. The visitor’s came into the contest in second to last place and winless in their last five matches.
Head coach Guy Tzarfati’s Starting XI: Daniel Peretz, Noam Cohen, Alon Shtrozberg, Fadi Najar, Yoav Hofmayster, Amit Glazer, Tomer Altman, Prince Thomas, Mufleh Shalata, Eylon Almog and William Agada.
First Half
The Yellow & Blue began the match with tremendous pressure as Altman had the side’s first chance in the 3’ when his quality shot was saved by Adi Nasa the Petah Tikva keeper. Ten minutes later, Almog took the ball on the left wing and made his way to the middle of the box as the striker unleashed a scorcher but Nasa made the timely stop. In the 13’ Thomas sent the ball to Shalata on the right who sent a pinpoint perfect pass right to Agada’s head but the keeper was up to the task yet again to parry the ball away to safety.
A minute later Agada’s header from an Almog cross missed the target and in the 25’ Agada’s chance was again saved by a busy Nasa and sent out for a corner. Five minutes later Najar began the attack sent Thomas on his way who in turn passed the ball to Almog on the wing but his shot went wide.
In the 34’ Maccabi almost found their first goal of the match when Shalata sent the ball to Thomas in the middle of the pitch who gave and go with the former but Thomas’s opportunity was parried away by Nasa and the rebound was taken by the keeper off another chance by Agada as the half ended goalless.
Second Half
The half began just as the the first 45 minutes ended with Maccabi in complete control and in the 53’ they finally took a 1:0 lead as Almog crossed the ball from the left wing to Agada who beat the keeper for the one goal advantage. In the 71’ Shalata took a long range chance from the right side but Nasa came up with the ball as the Yellow & Blue looked to double the lead.
Peretz had to be alert a couple of minutes later as Tal Soares lifted the ball into the box to Olivier Boyse as the Maccabi keeper came up big making the timely save to stay in front. In the 78’ Hofmayster’s header went over the bar and just before the final whistle Eyal Hen who had come in as a substitute was stopped by Nasa as Maccabi wrapped up a 1:0 win and increased their lead atop the table to 6 points.
