“I’m happy that we got all the three points and also a clean sheet and four goals and I’m happy to have been able to contribute to the team,” Ofoedu told reporters after the game.

When asked if the result had avenged the loss to Beitar in the Toto Cup final, Ofoedu said:

“We lost that game and it was our own fault but we came out hungry today and we did our best and we got the result we wanted. The loss was a wake-up call for us and it made us hungry … it was definitely a confidence booster for us.

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Vladimir Ivic spoke after his team’s 4-0 away thrashing of Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium and said he still expects more of his players.

“It was not an easy game, for sure, we played 50-50 from the start and until the end of the first half and it was a tough game, but we scored a goal at the best moment, at the end of the first half, and the goal gave us more confidence.

“Before the goal we had 2-3 good chances, Beitar had just one attempt after one cross but I believe that we were good today and we deserved all three points.

He said there was more work to be done for Maccabi to reach their full potential.

“We are still playing at about 60 percent of our ability. We still need to discover why and we need to work hard to fix this so that we reach 100 percent of our ability. Our squad is bigger now and we have a lot of good, quality players but we are still not at the level we should be or where I want to be.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv put on a show stopping performance against Beitar Jerusalem in the TASE Premier League at Teddy Stadium on Saturday and gained full retribution for their defeat by the same opponents in the Toto Cup final in midweek.

The match may have begun a little tentatively and there were few chances in a nevertheless robust first half, but once Maccabi found the goal for the first time, there was no looking back.

From the moment they scored, Maccabi, who lost 2-0 to Beitar in the Toto Cup final in Netanya on Tuesday, were totally dominant against their hosts and registered a stellar victory. It was a much-needed confidence booster for Maccabi, who have so far looked unimpressive this season.

After a frenzied first half in which Maccabi were nevertheless the more dominant outfit, Chico Ofoedu finally broke the deadlock in added time when he scored from an excellent header in the second minute of added time when he rose to meet a corner from the left taken by Yonatan Cohen.

Ofoedu was not challenged by the Beitar defence and headed the ball into the hosts’ net with goalkeeper Itamar Nitzan unable to react.

Yonatan Cohen struck a perfect left-footed free kick from the edge of the area that flew over the Beitar wall and curled into the right corner of Nitzan’s area in the 50th minute and Beitar looked in trouble while Maccabi’s supporters cheered in delight.

Ofoedu added his second goal in the 56th minute when he ran unchallenged into the left side of the Beitar area and side footed diagonally and powerfully into the Beitar goal to put the result pretty much beyond doubt.

Ruslan Barsky added the fourth goal when he volleyed a left-footed strike in front of goal after a cross in from the left by Cohen towards Ofoedu which he fluffed and the ball was lobbed into the air for the perfect volley from 10 metres out.

Beitar were awarded a penalty after Eaten Tibi fouled Shlomi Edri but even that scoring opportunity was missed as Maccabi ‘keeper Daniel Tenenbaum palmed away  Shlomi Azulai’s spot kick for a corner.

Added to Beitar’s misery was a red card shown late in the second half to their assistant coach.

Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Beitar Jerusalem on Saturday at Teddy Stadium in the TASE Premier League, a second meeting between the two sides after the Jerusalem outfit won the Toto Cup final 2-0 in Netanya on Tuesday. Defender Shahar Piven spoke at the pre-match news conference about the upcoming clash.

“We’ve been here before and we will try to take the most out of this game and the entire week of preparation. We may have lost to the same team in midweek but it’s a totally clean slate and it’s completely different. In football every three or four days you come up against a new challenge and you have to take it seriously and get over what went before. Beitar are good opponents and of top quality and we will have to prove to ourselves and everybody else that we are the better team. It won’t be simple, but we will do our best.”

In regard to Maccabi’s ability, Piven said: “Our role is not to satisfy the media but to make sure we do what our coach demands of us, to make the fans happy and thereby make ourselves happy too. We are not taking any notice of what people think about us but we are concentrating on our targets. We need to improve several things so that we get better as a team. The game (goalless draw at home) against Maccabi Haifa has been forgotten as has the Toto Cup final against Beitar. We are looking towards the next game; we don’t need to think about what has been written about us in the media.”

“As a defender, I know that there battling on with will and determination is what we do all the time and we always need to bring these qualities to every game but as for the team’s attacking success and shots on target, they are things that are sometimes better and sometimes less successful. We only think about being able to be victorious more than our opponents and if we remember that at all times, I’m sure things will fall into place for us.”

Maccabi striker Itai Shechter spoke to the media after the Toto Cup final defeat to Beitar Jerusalem in Netanya on Tuesday and said:

“It’s very disappointing to lose any trophy but Beitar were better than we were, it’s undeniable. This may be the least important of the season’s trophies but for us, Maccabi, all trophies and matches are super important.

“We conceded through a lapse in concentration and it’s undeniable that Beitar played better than we did. We weren’t sharp, weren’t hungry and didn’t threaten and when you play like that, the opponents take advantage. We have a few days to prepare now for a clash that is probably even more important and I believe that we will be well prepared when we face Beitar at Teddy Stadium on Saturday.

“If you surrender possession when there is no pressure on the ball, you lose confidence. It’s disappointing but you need to be able to accept such situations.

“I just hope that for the rest of my career, I’ll always be able to be in a position to win more titles. 

“It’s true that we are not playing as well as we did last season but as we accrue points, things will get better and we will gain confidence.

“We knew that our opponents want to make things more difficult for us this season and have prepared, so it’s no surprise. But this is when we are tested. Last season, things were too easy but it was a one-off. We are a very strong club and when things are less happy we regroup and improve.

“I have every confidence that a strong club like Maccabi will be much better.”