BET SHEMESH, Israel (Interstat) — Ironi Beit Shemesh scored five unanswered goals and defeated visiting Hapoel Mahane Yehuda 5-0 on Friday at Bet Shemesh Stadium. The home side took control early, led by two goals at halftime and pulled away with three more after the break. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda never found a goal and remained scoreless through the final whistle.

Ironi Beit Shemesh opened the scoring in the 24th minute and doubled its advantage in the 35th minute. The home team carried a 2-0 lead into halftime after limiting Hapoel Mahane Yehuda’s chances and keeping the visitors from finding an equalizing goal. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda was unable to sustain possession in the attacking third during the first half, and Ironi Beit Shemesh made its early pressure count. The visitors tried to respond before the interval but could not break through.

The home side added three more goals in a decisive second-half stretch. Ironi Beit Shemesh scored in the 53rd minute, again in the 58th and once more in the 60th, turning the match into a rout. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda could not find a response and finished without a goal. Ironi Beit Shemesh’s pressure produced repeated scoring chances, and the home team converted them in quick succession. The visitors made changes and tried to push forward, but the match was already beyond reach.

The result left Hapoel Mahane Yehuda at 1-3-1 in the competition and across all competitions. Ironi Beit Shemesh moved to 2-1-1 in the competition and overall. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda’s season record in this competition is now 1-3-1, and its mark across all competitions is also 1-3-1. Ironi Beit Shemesh is now 2-1-1 in the competition and 2-1-1 across all competitions. The visitors have one win, three losses and one draw, while the hosts have two wins, one loss and one draw.

Hapoel Mahane Yehuda entered the match after a 4-2 home win over Jerusalem FC. Earlier this season, Hapoel Mahane Yehuda played a scoreless draw at Hapoel Herzliya, lost 3-2 at home to SC Dimona and lost 2-0 at Hapoel Azor. Those results had given Hapoel Mahane Yehuda a mixed start to the campaign, and the visit to Bet Shemesh Stadium added another difficult chapter. The visitors had also been held scoreless in two of their previous four matches before Friday.

Ironi Beit Shemesh entered after a 3-3 draw at M. Ironi Kiryat Malachi, following a 3-1 home win over Tzeirei Tira and a 5-1 loss at Maccabi Yavne. The home side had scored in each of its previous matches this season and continued that run with a five-goal performance. Ironi Beit Shemesh also protected its advantage after halftime and closed the match without conceding. The home side’s previous results included a high-scoring draw and a lopsided defeat, but it produced a more balanced effort against Hapoel Mahane Yehuda.

The match at Bet Shemesh Stadium was decided by Ironi Beit Shemesh’s finishing and its ability to keep Hapoel Mahane Yehuda off the scoreboard. The visitors’ best sequence came before halftime, but they could not convert. Ironi Beit Shemesh remained organized after the break and added to its lead with three goals in an eight-minute span. The home side closed out the match without conceding and secured its second win in the competition. Hapoel Mahane Yehuda, meanwhile, remained on one win in the competition and across all competitions.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ironi Beit Shemesh 2, Hapoel Mahane Yehuda 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ironi Beit Shemesh with a 58.1 percent probability to win. Ironi Beit Shemesh had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 2.5.