HAIFA, Israel (Interstat) — Maccabi Haifa delivered a commanding performance Sunday, overwhelming Ironi Kir Shmona 4-1 in Liga Bet action at Sammy Ofer Stadium.

The match was effectively decided in a devastating six-minute span late in the first half, turning a competitive contest into a lopsided affair.

Eitan Azulay opened the scoring early for the hosts, finding the net in the ninth minute. The visitors held firm for the next twenty minutes, but the floodgates opened after the half-hour mark. Striker Guy Melamed doubled Maccabi Haifa’s lead in the 30th minute, marking the start of a rapid onslaught.

Substitute Adrián Ugarriza, who had just entered the match, scored just five minutes later in the 35th minute. Before Ironi Kir Shmona could regroup, midfielder Benson Manuel added a fourth goal a mere minute later in the 36th, completing a stunning sequence that put the game out of reach before halftime.

Melamed capped his standout day with a second goal in the 80th minute, solidifying the victory. His two-goal performance led all players. Ironi Kir Shmona managed a lone consolation goal, but its scorer was not listed in the provided statistics.

The match featured four yellow cards, all issued to Maccabi Haifa players. Shay Ben David was cautioned in the 17th minute, followed by Cédric Franck Don in the 78th. Fernando Pacheco and Aviv Avraham received yellow cards in the 86th and fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, respectively.

The result extends Maccabi Haifa’s strong form in Liga Bet, improving their record within the competition to five wins, two losses and one draw. The team’s overall record across all tournaments this season now stands at nine wins, seven losses and three draws.

For Ironi Kir Shmona, the defeat continues a difficult campaign. Their Liga Bet record fell to two wins, three losses and three draws. Their broader season record across all competitions is now 11 wins, 18 losses and seven draws.

The outcome defied the pre-match projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a narrow 1-0 victory for Maccabi Haifa. The organization’s ELO rating system had given the home side an 88.10 percent probability to win.

Maccabi Haifa entered the match following a 2-0 loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv on April 6. Ironi Kir Shmona’s previous result was a 2-0 victory over Bnei Sakhnin on April 4.