Betar J'lem pounds Maccabi Beersheba 4-1 to advance

Of the 16 teams who made it through to the ninth round this week, 11 are from the Premier League and four hail from the National League.

By ALLON SINAI
betar 311 (photo credit: NK Productions)
betar 311
(photo credit: NK Productions)
 Hapoel Tel Aviv and Betar Jerusalem easily advanced to the last 16 of the State Cup on Wednesday, ensuring all of Israel’s big guns progressed safely to the next round.
Tel Aviv beat Hapoel Haifa 3-0 at Kiryat Eliezer Stadium and Jerusalem defeated Maccabi Beersheba 4-1, joining Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the next stage.
Of the 16 teams who made it through to the ninth round this week, 11 are from the Premier League, four hail from the National League and one, Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa, comes from the fourth division.
Maharan Lala’s third minute goal put Hapoel Tel Aviv in the driver’s seat in Haifa and Eli Gutman’s team was well on its way to the next round after goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama doubled the lead from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime.
Itai Shechter put the icing on the cake in the 75th minute and Tel Aviv sailed into the last 16.
In Beersheba, Barak Itzhaki gave Betar the lead in the 18th minute, but the hosts improved at the start of the second half and Miki Atiya netted a deserved equalizer 11 minutes after the break.
The National League club would, however, struggle in the final third of the encounter and Betar made the most of its superior fitness.
Itzhaki scored his second of the match in the 65th minute and Toto Tamuz slotted in his team third 13 minutes later. Aviram Bruchian headed in the fourth goal 10 minutes from time, with Eliran Danin the provider once more, passing his fourth assist of the night.
Also Wednesday, Hapoel Petah Tikva beat Hapoel Ra’anana 8-7 in a penalty shootout, after extra time ended in a 1-1 draw. Ibrahim Bassit gave Petah Tikva the lead in the 25th minute, only for Daniel Addo to deflect the ball into his own net after a Snir Shuker shot six minutes later.
Both Petah Tikva and Ra’anana scored their first seven penalties, but after Addo gave the hosts an 8-7 lead, Omri Atiya hit the woodwork and Petah Tikva booked its place in the last 16.
Meanwhile, two second half goals gave Bnei Yehuda a 2-0 victory over Hapoel Acre. Omri Afek (56) and Eliran Atar (71) scored for the hosts, who needed a confidence boost after going winless in their last six Premier League matches.
Ashdod SC beat Hakoach Amidar Ramat Gan 1-0 through Dimitar Makriev’s21st minute goal, avenging last year’s defeat to Hakoach in thecompetition.
And Hapoel Ashkelon overcame Ness Ziona 2-1, with Yehiel Tzagai scoring the winner eight minutes from time.