League Play-Off

Maliha Arena
Spectators: 36 (Terracing: 28, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Barkan Eldad got the match started through his kick off. With an all-out effort, Maliha's Rozen Yamit threw himself towards the right post 4 minutes into the match and grabbed hold of the ball from Barkan Eldad, which otherwise would have been placed in the net. SC Ilaniyya's Rozen Yamit played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Barkan Eldad in the 6th minute of play. Rozen Yamit made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Barkan Eldad in the 9th minute of play. In the 10th minute Lavy Melchett shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Artyum Nuriel saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 12 minutes of play, SC Ilaniyya's Amitsur Borstein made it 0-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Artyum Nuriel was left in no man's land by his defense there! In the 16th minute Lavy Melchett shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Artyum Nuriel saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Rozen Yamit showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Barkan Eldad in the 20th minute of the match. In the 23rd match minute, Maliha was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Chiko Aryeh to maneuver through the defense. Artyum Nuriel didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Lavy Melchett went, in the 26th minute, to the upper right corner, 0-2 was the resulting score. Barkan Eldad received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 33rd minute. Rozen Yamit tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Chiko Aryeh could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 34th minute of the match, but Rozen Yamit made a huge save. Lavy Melchett fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 39th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Artyum Nuriel having to interfere. Lavy Melchett sent away a hard shot on goal in the 41st minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. If Amitsur Borstein had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 44th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. After a defensive mix-up in Maliha's zone, Lavy Melchett stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Artyum Nuriel came out of the goal and Lavy Melchett tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Amitsur Borstein might have been able to make a better finish in the 47th minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Artyum Nuriel. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Amitsur Borstein ran back to his position shaking his head.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Lavy Melchett was the one to do the kick off. Amitsur Borstein who was well placed in front of the goal fired away a dangerous shot that in the 56thth minute tested the skills of Artyum Nuriel when he managed to save the team from getting behind. When Barkan Eldad came up free with the goalie in the 58th minute, the Maliha fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Barkan Eldad couldn't finish the play. If Amitsur Borstein had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 62nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Amitsur Borstein fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 64th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Artyum Nuriel having to interfere. When Chiko Aryeh fell near the penalty area in the 69th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Maliha's protests and gave Chiko Aryeh a yellow card for diving instead. In the 69th minute, Chiko Aryeh hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 76 minutes into the match, SC Ilaniyya's Amitsur Borstein sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Artyum Nuriel narrowly saved just below the crossbar. Rozen Yamit came out of the goal in the 78th minute to try and stop a shot by Maliha's Chiko Aryeh. But to his dismay, Chiko Aryeh quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 1-2. Lavy Melchett charged in rather forcefully in the 81st minute of the match, and managed to knock his opponent down. The referee showed Lavy Melchett the yellow card, and asked the players to shake hands before continuing play. Lavy Melchett hit a great freekick 81 minutes into the match. Chiko Aryeh recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 84th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. If Chiko Aryeh had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 87th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Hamudi Shulsinger hit a great freekick 91 minutes into the match. After a defensive mix-up in Maliha's zone, Amitsur Borstein stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Artyum Nuriel came out of the goal and Amitsur Borstein tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. The referee blew the final whistle, and the away crowd roared, having watched SC Ilaniyya eke out a victory against a very well matched opponent.