Beitar runs riot over Netanya to remain in title race

LOCAL SOCCER

- By JOSHUA HALICKMAN

Beitar Jerusalem crushed Maccabi Netanya 8-2 in Israel Premier League action as Yarden Shua scored a first-half brace and added an assist on Adi Yona’s goal while Yarden Cohen, Boris Enow, Gonzalez, Johnbosco Kalu and Ziv Ben Shimol all found the back of the goal to cruise to the victory and pull to within four points of table leader Hapoel Beersheba.

After a bit of extracurricular activity from the Beitar fans with flares that left a trail of smoke, Bassam Zarora put Netanya onto the scoresheet as he pounded home a rebound to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute. However, Jerusalem came right back down the pitch and found the equalizer when a total team effort saw Yarin Levy send Cohen the ball to the left of the box as he crossed it right back across the goal line to an oncoming Shua, who put it into the net.

Nana Antwi then flew down the right flank and sent the ball to Gonzalez, who was in the middle of the box and sent a cheeky backheel behind Niv Antman for a 2-1 lead in the 19th minute.

As the match headed into first-half injury time, Levy sent the ball to Shua, who went past the Netanya defenders and cut to the middle of the box and he put the ball into the goal for a 3-1 lead.

Oz Bilu redirected a Muhamed Aziz attempt past Silva to cut the lead down to just 3-2, However, Gonzalez flicked the ball to an oncoming Enow, who went into the box and quickly slotted it by a diving Antman to regain the two-goal lead. Then Yona took a Shua pass and scored from 30 meters out to give Jerusalem a 5-2 lead at halftime.