A brace by Guy Cohen helped Mta's Under-19s to their seventh victory of the season with 2-1 win over F.C. Ashdod
After a week-long break, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" return to league duties on Saturday, beating Ashdod FC at home. Guy Cohen scored a goal in each half and broke the temporary 1-1 deadlock that existed at halftime. The game, which was scheduled to take place in Ashdod, was relocated to Maccabi's Kiryat Shalom training ground after the teams exchanged their home and away fixtures. Head coach Amir Turjeman's charges returned to winning ways after losing to Bnei Yehuda in the previous matchweek, reducing their distance from the top of the national Under-19 Premier League to nine points.
The loss to Bnei Yehuda ended a three-game run of wins for Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", as they looked to return to winning ways again against Ashdod FC. The first half was dominated by "Shachar", who went on the attack with Dor Jan, Guy Cohen and Sharon Zisso threatening the visitor's goal. Just under ten minutes from the break an accurate long ball by Sean Goldberg found Guy Cohen and he found space to head the ball in for his third goal of the season. Seconds before halftime the visitors found the equaliser, against the run of play. Ashdod's Or Inbrum cut into the area from the flanks and let fly with an accurate shot that sailed into the corner of the Maccabi net.
Maccabi tried to regain the advantage at the beginning of the second half and both Dor Jan, wearing the captain's band, and Sharon Zisso nearly scored. Draws are not very popular among the Maccabi Tel Aviv players, who have only finished one game in that fashion during the season so far, and they had no intention to end today's game without finding a winner. Twenty minutes from time Ashdod's goalkeeper, Omer Aviram, could only punch away a shot by Sharon Zisso and Guy Cohen was there to take the reflection and score his second. The Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder had an opportunity to complete a hat-trick just a few minutes later, but he only managed to hit the post.
Maccabi Haifa's 2-2 derby draw enabled "Shachar" to reduce their distance from the national Under-19 Premier league leaders to nine points. Next week Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will play Hapoel Jerusalem, currently bottom in the table.
Under-19 Premier League Table
Lineup: Gal Tubaly, Shahar Piven, Mansour Amash, Daniel Schwartzboim, Sean Goldberg, Roei Yair, Tamir Abrahamian, Sharon Zisso, Daniel Gertz, Guy Cohen, Dor Jan.
