Beersheba continues to increase gap over Mac TA

Sixth consecutive victory moves Bachar’s boys eight points clear ahead of Mac TA’s visit to Netanya.

By ALLON SINAI
Updated: FEBRUARY 14, 2016 01:14
Hapoel Beersheba midfielder Maor Melikson celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal in last night’s 2-1 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium (photo credit: DANNY MARON)
Hapoel Beersheba midfielder Maor Melikson celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal in last night’s 2-1 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium
(photo credit: DANNY MARON)
Hapoel Beersheba piled the pressure on Maccabi Tel Aviv after opening an eightpoint gap at the top of the Premier League standings on Saturday night, beating Hapoel Haifa 2-1 on the road to set a new club record of six consecutive league wins.
Beersheba registered its 16th league win from the past 18 matches as part of an unbeaten streak stretching back almost five months. Elyaniv Barda broke the deadlock with his strike from the edge of the box with his 12th league goal of the season in the 35th minute, with Ben Sahar doubling the advantage in the 68th minute. Eli Elbaz handed the hosts a lifeline two minutes later, but it proved to be to no avail.
“Finally we have managed to win six straight matches and this was a very important victory,” said Beersheba coach Barak Bachar. “This win gives us motivation for our next challenge, which is our next match.”
Despite drawing its past two games, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be confident of closing back within five points when it visits rock-bottom Maccabi Netanya on Sunday.
Netanya faces an all but impossible mission to avoid relegation, sitting 14 points from safety. It has registered only one win all season, back on October 3, and hasn’t scored a goal in its past seven matches.
Hapoel Haifa’s defeat to Beersheba saw it drop into the relegation zone after both Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Acre registered wins.
Tel Aviv claimed its first victory in four matches under Eli Gutman, beating Hapoel Ra’anana 2-1 at Bloomfield Stadium.
Yuval Shabtay (37) gave Ra’anana the lead, but goals from Alon Turgeman (53) and Aaron Schoenfeld (69) turned the match on its head. Hapoel won for just the second time in 11 matches and scored more than a single goal in a game for only the third time all season.
Acre registered its second straight win, beating Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-1. Guy Dayan gave the visitors the lead six minutes before the break before Rade Prica leveled the score with his first goal as a Petah Tikva player in the 55th minute.
Nevertheless, Zion Zemah ensured Acre returned home with all three points with the winner in the 75th minute.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona sacked coach Salah Hasarma on Saturday after losing 2-0 to Hapoel Kfar Saba. Mavis Tchibota (77) and Dudu Biton (92) scored for the winners.
Shlomi Dora is set to be named as the next coach of Kiryat Shmona, which is just three points above the bottom two.
Bnei Sakhnin beat Bnei Yehuda 2-0 at Bloomfield Stadium thanks to an owngoal from Itzik Azuz (60) and Weeam Amasha’s stoppage-time strike.
Sakhnin moved up to seventh place, but is still only five points above the relegation zone. Following Saturday’s results, only eight points separate Ra’anana in fourth place and Hapoel Haifa in 13th.
On Monday, Beitar Jerusalem hosts Maccabi Haifa, assuming the former doesn’t go ahead with its threat not to show up for the match after being punished by the Israel Football Association’s disciplinary court to host it away from Teddy Stadium due to the unruly behavior of its supporters.