Mac TA’s lead back to 10 points

TA wasn’t at its best on Wednesday, but its win never looked in doubt after Dabbur gave it the lead in 44th minute.

By ALLON SINAI
OSCAR GARCIA 370 (photo credit: Adi Avishai)
OSCAR GARCIA 370
(photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Maccabi Tel Aviv continued its relentless charge to the Premier League title on Wednesday night, beating reigning champion Ironi Kiryat Shmona 3-1 to reestablish a 10-point gap at the top of the standings.
Maccabi had its eight match winning streak snapped with a 0-0 draw against secondplaced Maccabi Haifa on Saturday, but it took all three points once more in Kiryat Shmona with a professional performance.
The yellow-and-blue hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby on Saturday, knowing a victory over its arch-rival will leave it needing just three wins from its final six matches to clinch a first championship since 2003, even should Haifa triumph in its remaining seven contests.
Tel Aviv wasn’t at its rampant best on Wednesday, but its win never looked in doubt after Munas Dabbur gave it the lead in the 44th minute with a cool finish following Moshe Lugassi’s superb through ball.
Rade Prica doubled the advantage with a calm chip three minutes into the second half and Maccabi clinched the victory through an Eran Zahavi penalty four minutes from time after Shimon Abu Hazeira gave Kiryat Shmona a lifeline with a spot kick in the 64th minute.
”We played away against a very good team and it wasn’t easy to win here,” said Maccabi coach Oscar Garcia.
“We knew before what we had to do to win this game. The derby is always an important game for all the fans and now in the playoffs all the games are important and this one much more because it is a derby.”