NETANYA, Israel (Interstat) — Hapoel Hadera defeated M. Ironi Kiryat Malachi 1-0 in a football match at Netanya Stadium on Friday, securing the victory with a goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time after a tightly contested game that remained scoreless deep into the closing stages.

The visiting side held Hadera scoreless through regulation and appeared headed toward a draw, but Hadera broke through in the 90th minute plus three. The goal was the only one of the match, leaving M. Ironi Kiryat Malachi with 0 goals total and Hapoel Hadera with 1 goal total. The late strike decided a contest that had remained scoreless until the final moments and gave the home side the full result. Hadera’s goal arrived after a long spell without a breakthrough from either team, and Kiryat Malachi could not answer before the final whistle.

Hapoel Hadera’s season record in the competition is now 3 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. Across all competitions, Hadera is 3 wins, 0 losses and 1 draw. The result kept Hadera unbeaten in the competition and across all competitions. M. Ironi Kiryat Malachi’s record in the competition is now 1 win, 1 loss and 2 draws, while its record across all competitions stands at 2 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws. Both sides had played four matches in the competition this season.

Hadera entered the match with recent results that included a 1-0 win at Tzeirei Tira, a 0-0 draw with Maccabi Yavne and a 4-0 win at Nordia Jerusalem. Those results formed part of an unbeaten run that continued with the home victory. Hadera’s recent form in the competition included three wins and one draw, and the team maintained that unbeaten record with the late goal against Kiryat Malachi. The home side’s previous matches had produced a mix of wins and a scoreless draw, and the result against Kiryat Malachi added another victory to that sequence. The home side’s unbeaten start in the competition remained intact.

Kiryat Malachi entered the match after a 3-3 draw with Ironi Beit Shemesh, a 2-1 win over Beitar Mevaseret Zion, a 1-0 win at Jerusalem FC and a 0-0 draw with Hapoel Herzliya. The visitors could not add to those results against Hadera, as their attack was kept off the scoreboard. Kiryat Malachi remained without a goal in the match despite staying level for most of the evening. Its previous results had included wins over Beitar Mevaseret Zion and Jerusalem FC along with draws against Ironi Beit Shemesh and Hapoel Herzliya. The visitors’ competition record now stands at 1 win, 1 loss and 2 draws after the defeat.

The match at Netanya Stadium remained scoreless through the opening period and into the second half. Hadera pushed for a breakthrough as the game moved toward its conclusion, and the home side finally found the decisive moment in stoppage time. The goal came in the 90th minute plus three and proved enough to separate the teams. Kiryat Malachi could not respond before the final whistle, and Hadera took the win by a single goal. The result gave Hadera the advantage in a match that had been level for nearly the entire contest, while Kiryat Malachi left with a loss after conceding at the end.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hapoel Hadera 1, M. Ironi Kiryat Malachi 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Hapoel Hadera with a 66.6 percent probability to win. Hapoel Hadera had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 2.5.