Two goals from wonder kid Jacob Richler-Kleiman helped Manchester Maccabi 1st book their place in the last 16 of the Peter Morrison Trophy as they claimed a famous win over London Maccabi Lions A at Rowley Lane.
The Lions started the game relatively well, with striker Lee Bilbring having a first time snap-shot well saved by Daniel Garivan.
Playing a disciplined defensive game - anchored by Maccabiah star Michael Sacks - Manchester Maccabi soaked up the early pressure and began to push men forward on the break. They yielded a goal from their first real attempt after Adam Lavin’s first-time pass played in Richler-Kleiman, who coolly slotted past Michael Elvey.
Sacks then glanced a header just wide from a corner before a dreadful miscue by Elvey led to Lavin having a shot cleared off the line, as Manchester Maccabi finished the half the stronger.
Lavin again enjoyed success peeling to the right as a superb run and cross found his grateful partner Richler-Kleiman unmarked for a neat first time shot from eight yards to make it 2-0 on the hour.
Lions manager Eilon Kennet tried to freshen his midfield, which struggled to match the Manchester Maccabi pressure on the ball, by bringing off Yoav Lebens and Avi Schwarz but Jonathan Green and 16-year-old Charlie Cohen failed to get to grips with their more experienced opponents.
It might even have been worse had Richler-Kleiman not had a lob disallowed for offside.
Manchester Maccabi manager Stuart Delmonte told JC Sport: “We are about the team so I won’t single out individuals. The system worked. We all worked really hard. In truth they had the better of it until we scored after half an hour, but I told them at the break to pay closer attention to Ben Joseph who was their main creative force. I’m delighted that in the second half we totally shut them out.“
Lions: Elvey, Colman, Lazard, Guy Morris, Gold, Josh Morris, Lebens (sub: Green), Schwarz (sub: Cohen), Kyte (sub: Most); Joseph, Bibring
Manchester: Garman; Lee, Tauber (sub: Tyer), Sacks, Leker; Singer, Loofe, Wolfe (sub: Stevens), Rosenberg; Richler-Kleiman, Lavin
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