Betar blanks Hap Haifa

Betar Jerusalem climbed to fifth place in the Premier League standings with its fourth win in five matches.

By ALLON SINAI
Betar Jerusalem's Hen Azriel 370 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Betar Jerusalem's Hen Azriel 370
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Betar Jerusalem climbed to fifth place in the Premier League standings with its fourth win in five matches on Sunday night, beating Hapoel Haifa 3-0 at Teddy Stadium.
Betar extended its unbeaten streak to six games after picking up just a single point from its first four encounters of the campaign, while Hapoel Haifa remained rooted to the bottom of the standings.
Jerusalem made the most of Haifa’s pathetic defending, with Hen Azriel giving the hosts the lead in the sixth minute and Croatians Dominik Glavina (55) and Dino Skvorc (74) clinching the win in the second half.
“I always knew this squad had potential,” said Betar coach Eli Cohen. “I knew that we would work hard and gel as a team and these young players deserve every credit.”
Despite remaining in last place on six points, Haifa coach Nir Klinger was optimistic of his team’s chances of survival.
“A team that wants to stay up can’t afford to concede three goals from set pieces,” Klinger said. “This wasn’t our day, but I still believe that we can avoid relegation.
“We didn’t look good tonight, but there is plenty of time to turn things around.”
On Monday, Maccabi Haifa, which is just one point and one place ahead of its cross-town rival, hosts Bnei Sakhnin.
The Greens will be guided by youth team coach Arik Benado, with Ran Ben-Shimon, who currently coaches AEK Larnaca of the Cypriot league, still the favorite to be announced as Reuven Atar’s long-term replacement sometime this week.