Ironi Tveria claimed a surprising 2:1 victory over Maccabi Petah-Tikva in the Ligat Ha'Al on Saturday evening. The away side, sitting 12th with 0 points from three games, turned around a heavy defeat from the opening round to earn their first away win of the campaign. Maccabi, second on 6 points after two victories and one loss, failed to hold onto their home advantage.
The hosts started brightly and took an early lead through their own striker. Junior Nene Bi Gbamble scored in the 14th minute, though the goal was initially credited to his own team. The momentum shifted dramatically in the 27th minute when Bar Cohen was sent off for Maccabi, leaving them to play with ten men for the remainder of the contest.
With the numerical advantage, Ironi Tveria began to grow into the game. José Cortés equalised in the 61st minute, and Ariel Cohen proved the decisive figure, scoring the winner just eleven minutes later. The match saw a series of substitutions as both managers tried to find a solution, with Maccabi bringing on eight players in total to no avail.
The statistics told a familiar story of dominance without conversion. Maccabi Petah-Tikva enjoyed 68 per cent possession and registered 23 shots, 10 on target, against an expected goals tally of 3.06. Ironi Tveria, with 32 per cent possession, managed only nine shots but their expected goals figure of 2.08 suggested a more clinical approach. The shot accuracy figures — 31 per cent for the hosts, 25 per cent for the visitors — underscored the inefficiency on both sides.
The result closes a chapter for Ironi Tveria, who had suffered a 3:0 defeat against these same opponents earlier this month. For Maccabi, the defeat leaves them still in second place but raises questions about their ability to close out games when leading. The visitors now sit on 0 points but have shown they can compete away from home.