Dor Jan scored from the penalty spot as MTA's U19s got their first win in four matches
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" Saturday visited Ironi Kiryat Shmona, placed second in the national Under-19 Premier League table, in an attempt to recover from a run of three consecutive losses. Attaining victory at Kiryat Shmona was not expected to be easy but after a close and difficult game Maccabi's Under-19s returned south with three important points. Striker Dor Jan scored the only goal of the game in the last minute of the first half. Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" earned their first clean sheet of the season.
The players started the game with a strong defensive line designed to protect their goal, breached five times by Hapoel Rishon Lezion last week. Last season the Kiryat Shmona facilities proved to favour Maccabi's Under-19s, where they won 1-4 with Dor Jan scoring one of the goals. Jan, who has already scored three goals this season, was given the opportunity to add more to his total when Maccabi were awarded a penalty just before the break. The forward calmly scored his first goal since matchweek 3, taking his team into half-time with a 0-1 lead.
In the second half Maccabi continued playing a composed defensive game but still carried on with efforts to increase their lead despite the host's attempt to equalise at the other end. By the time the second half had ended, neither team had succeeded in finding the net and Dor Jan's goal at the end of the first half proved the match winner, the fourth victory this season for the Under-19s. They've now taken 13 points from eight matches and are once again close to the top of the table. This victory also sends head coach Amir Turjeman and his team into their break (for pitch reseeding) in good spirits. They are expected to return on November 24th, when Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will host Maccabi Petach Tikva.
Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar": Sahar Hasson, Rotem Buskila, Daniel Levy, Mansur Amash, Shawn Goldberg, Yarden Pinto, Dor Peretz, Tamir Avrahamian, Daniel Gertz, Guy Cohen, Dor Jan
