Raanana continued their excellent start to the season with a fantastic comeback in Ashdod on Saturday night in what was a very exciting game.
October 27, 2014 19:56ByAnonymous, Anonymous
SPORTS DIRECT OLIM LEAGUE
ASHDOD 3 RAANANA 6
Raanana continued their excellent start to the season with a fantastic comeback in Ashdod on Saturday night in what was a very exciting game.
Raanana got off to perfect start when with just four minutes on the clock an excellent team move saw Hannani Corney get in behind the defence who pulled the ball back to Aviv Cohen who dispatched the ball into the net.
Raananna were in control of the game for the next 15 minutes when from nowhere a mix up in the defence saw the ball drop to the Ashdod striker who hit the ball first time resulting in a unstoppable shot that flew into the net in off the post from 25 yards.
Almost immediately after conceding, Rannana gained a free-kick on the edge of the box when the impressive Avia Ben Meir beat two defenders before being hauled down on the edge of the box. Up stepped Corney who hit a perfectly placed free-kick into the top left-hand corner of the goal.
There were few further chances to either side until when the Ashdod striker broke free but seemed to be running away from goal. A needless challenge from the otherwise excellent Ronen Goldsmith saw the striker clipped from behind leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. The Ashdod centre back coolly stepped up to dispatch the penalty leaving the score at 2-2 going into half time. Ashdod will have been much the happier team with the scoreline and Raanana were wondering how they were not winning.
However the first 15 minutes of the second half were a completely different story, with Ashdod in the ascendancy from the whistle. After 55 minutes Ashdod deservedly took the lead with stiker getting in at the far post and placing a neat finish into the roof of the net.
Minutes later Ashdod nearly extended the lead when a superb volley from the edge of the box crashed back off the bar. Rannana were stunned and there looked like only being one winner.
A reshuffle saw Zeev Landsman move into central midfield alongside Aviv. Zeev got on the ball and started to control the game linking the play and starting the attacks. This led to a couple of chances and good saves from Aviv and Aviad.
Then on 70 minutes, Raanana won a free-kick 30 yards from goal. Aviad unleashed a superb strike that whistled into the top corner to level the scores.
A minute later Aviv was taken out in the area and he dusted himself down to convert the resultant penalty.
The game was turned on its head in the space of a minute and Ashdod were stunned. With five minutes remaining Guv Lebens was cynically taken out by the Ashdod midfielder on the edge of the box. Aviad appeared to put a cross into the box. The keeper misjudged the flight of the ball and it ended up in the corner of the net making the score 5-3.
The icing was put on the cake in the final kick of the game when Haim Elimelech broke clear before playing in Aviad who placed the ball into the corner of the net to make it 6-3 as the final whistle was blown.
The scoreline does not reflect how close this game was which could have gone either way. Special mention to the ref who controlled the game extremely well and only awarded one card.
The next three weeks will provide a Raanana with a tough test, with games against England FC and the two Jerusalem teams.