Maccabi Tel Aviv up to second place thanks to Zahavi

The unstoppable Eran Zahavi ensured Maccabi Tel Aviv closed to within two points of the Premier League summit on Wednesday night, while a Weeam Amasha hat-trick gave the resurgent Maccabi Haifa its first winning streak of the season. Maccabi Tel Aviv came from behind to beat Bnei Sakhnin 3-1 in Acre and move up to second place and within striking distance of league-leader Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Mohammad Ghadir gave Sakhnin a surprise lead after less than five minutes, but Zahavi leveled the score with his 12th goal of the season five minutes from halftime. Zahavi found the back of the net for the 14th straight league match in which he has played stretching back to last season, taking his overall tally over that period to 21 goals. It took the yellow-and-blue less than six second half minutes to move in front courtesy of Eden Ben-Basat, before Zahavi set up Barak Badash for Maccabi's third goal of the night in the 89th minute. Sakhin ended the match with 10 men after Ali Osman was sent off in the 84th minute. Elsewhere, Maccabi Haifa recorded its biggest win of the season on Wednesday, thrashing Maccabi Netanya 4-0 on the road. Amasha opened the scoring from close range in the 10th minute before doubling his team's advantage with a sensational header in the 26th minute. The striker then made the most of a reckless back-pass by Netanya's Ido Levy to complete his hat-trick on the stroke of halftime. Idan Vered put the icing on the cake with a fourth goal in the 87th minute. Also Wednesday, Hapoel Tel Aviv dropped to its second loss in four days, falling to a shock 3-1 defeat to Hapoel Acre in Petah Tikva. Moshe Ohayon gave Tel Aviv the lead in the 34th minute, but three goals in 10 second half minutes by Amir Abu Nil (50), Hamdi Salihi (58) and Branislav Jovanovic (60) secured Acre just its second victory of the season. On Thursday, Ashdod SC visits Maccabi Petah Tikva while Beitar Jerusalem will look to snap a three-match losing streak when it welcomes Hapoel Petah Tikva.

Maccabi Tel Aviv up to second place thanks to Zahavi

Yellow-and-blue striker scores in his 14th straight league match • Amasha hat-trick sparks Haifa.

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