Ashdod SC, Betar Jerusalem play to 1-1 draw

Betar Jerusalem drew its fourth straight Premier League match on Monday night, only managing a 1-1 tie against Ashdod SC at Teddy Stadium.

Jerusalem has lost just once in its past 12 games, but Monday’s draw left it in eighth position, four points behind Ashdod, which returned to third.

Betar’s Eran Levy came closest to scoring in the first half, but it was Hen Azriel who broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half, heading in the opener to give the hosts the lead.

However, Jerusalem failed to take the three points it deserved, with Nir Biton equalizing with an accurate header in the 80th minute.

Minutes before Monday’s kickoff, Betar announced that it will be traveling to Chechnya, Russia next week to face Terek Grozny in a friendly encounter.

Jerusalem will fly to Russia next Tuesday and play the Russian Premier League team on Wednesday after taking part in the laying of a cornerstone for a synagogue in the city and other activities with the local Jewish community.

Betar provided no explanation for its unusual decision to play an exhibition game in Russia midseason, three days before it faces Hapoel Ramat Gan in league action.

In other soccer news, Hapoel Tel Aviv announced on Monday that coach Yossi Abuksis’s contract has been extended by another season until the end of the 2013/14 campaign.

Abuksis, who continues to work as Israel national team assistant coach, replaced Nitzan Shirazi at the end of September after the latter was forced to take a leave of absence due to illness.

Hapoel is currently in second place, four points behind Maccabi Tel Aviv, but it is winless in its past four matches, drawing against three of the league’s bottom sides before losing 2-1 to Bnei Yehuda on Saturday.