Maccabi Yavne saw off Hapoel Azor 3:0 in the South division of Liga Alef on Thursday evening. The hosts took all three points at home, extending their push for a higher finish.
It was M. Maman who opened the scoring in the thirty-second minute. He found the net after a period of sustained pressure, and here's the thing — the visitors had looked comfortable enough before that moment. Maccabi Yavne paid for a sloppy opening in terms of concentration, and when the ball fell to Maman, he did not hesitate.
E. Mashli doubled the lead in the eighty-third. By then the game had settled into a rhythm that favoured the home side, who kept their side in it through disciplined defending. The goal felt earned, not lucky, and it put the visitors under real pressure.
A third goal came in stoppage time at ninety-plus-five. No scorer was named in the data, but the result was sealed. Hapoel Azor had chances to get something back, but they could not hold every card they were dealt.
Statistics tell a mixed story. Maccabi Yavne had 45 per cent possession yet registered five shots on target compared to three for the visitors. The away side had more attacks — 85 to 73 — but could not convert their numbers into goals. Shots off target were four for Hapoel Azor against one for Maccabi Yavne, which suggests the hosts were more clinical.
After this result Maccabi Yavne move further clear of the mid-table pack. They sit fourth with 36 points from 22 games, while Hapoel Azor remain thirteenth on 23 points after 21 matches. The gap between them is now thirteen points, and that is a significant margin in this division.