Beersheba flies high with win over Hapoel Tel Aviv

Hapoel Beersheba defeats Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0; Beitar Jerusalem beats Maccabi Petah Tikva 3-1.

By ALLON SINAI
Hapoel Beersheba's Elyaniv Barda 370 (photo credit: Meir Aven Haim)
Hapoel Beersheba's Elyaniv Barda 370
(photo credit: Meir Aven Haim)
Hapoel Beersheba climbed to the top of the Premier League standings on Saturday with a 2- 0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv, triumphing in its first two matches of the season for the first time in 10 years.
Beersheba entered 2013/14 with high expectations following the signings of Elyaniv Barda and Maor Buzaglo and the two stars shined for the team at Vasermil Stadium on Saturday, compounding the misery on the sorry Tel Aviv.
Siraj Nasar headed in Beersheba’s opener in the 36th minute from a Buzaglo corner and the midfielder also provided the assist for the second goal of the night, with Barda slotting in from close range just 22 seconds into the second half.
The defeat left Hapoel with just a single point from its first two matches of the campaign, with the Reds still searching for their first league goal of the season.
Beitar Jerusalem, which lost to Beersheba last week, picked up its first points of the season on Saturday, beating Maccabi Petah Tikva 3-1 at the Moshava Stadium.
Shay Hadad (20), Itzik Cohen (50) and Tzahi Elihen (88) canceled out Omer Golan’s opener, scored after just 42 seconds.
Bnei Sakhnin claimed a dramatic 1-0 victory over Hapoel Acre on Saturday courtesy of Mohamed Kalibat’s 90th-minute penalty.
Ironi Kiryat Shmona bounced back from last week’s defeat to Maccabi Haifa with a 4-1 victory over Ironi Ramat Hasharon.
Dusan Matovic (49), David Manga (59, 86) and Ofir Mizrahi (60) scored for the hosts, with Hasan Sayaf (88) netting Ramat Hasharon’s consolation goal.
Also Saturday, Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Ra’anana drew 1-1 at Kiryat Eliezer Stadium.
Anthony Nwakaeme (14) scored for Ra’anana, with Nebojsa Marinkovic (44) equalizing for Haifa On Sunday, Maccabi Tel Aviv hosts Bnei Yehuda and Maccabi Haifa visits Ashdod SC, which completed the sale of Nir Biton to Celtic on Friday.