HAIFA (Interstat) — Walid Darwish scored in the third minute and Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad added two more goals before halftime in a 3-0 home victory over Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt in a football match. Darwish’s early goal set the tone for a first half in which the hosts controlled the final third and kept the visiting side from settling into a rhythm. Bakr A. doubled the lead in the 28th minute, and Abu Nasser Yasser made it 3-0 in the 35th. Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt could not find a response after the break and finished the match without a goal.

Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad’s pressure produced the opening goal when Darwish struck in the third minute. The home side continued to push forward and was rewarded again midway through the first half when Bakr A. scored in the 28th. Seven minutes later, Abu Nasser Yasser added the third goal, giving Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad a commanding lead before halftime. The second half was more controlled, with Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt unable to cut into the deficit and Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad seeing out the shutout. The visitors could not turn possession into scoring and remained scoreless through the final whistle.

Darwish and Abu Nasser Yasser were among the key performers for Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad. Darwish played 90 minutes and scored once, while Abu Nasser Yasser also played the full match and scored once. Their goals came during a first-half stretch that decided the match. Bakr A. also scored for the hosts in the 28th minute. Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt was kept off the scoreboard and did not produce a comeback after falling behind early. Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad defended its advantage after the interval and closed out the match without conceding.

The result moved Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad to 3 wins and 2 losses in the competition, and its record across all competitions is also 3 wins and 2 losses. Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt is now 2 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws in the competition, with the same record across all competitions. Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt entered the match after a 4-2 home win over Hapoel Bnei Musmus, a 1-1 home draw against H. Migdal HaEmek, a 0-0 draw at Araba, a 2-0 home win over Maccabi Nujeidat Ahmad and a 5-3 loss at M. Kiryat Ata-Bialik. Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad had previously beaten Araba 5-1 on the road, lost 2-1 at home to Maccabi Nujeidat Ahmad, won 2-1 at M. Kiryat Ata-Bialik and lost 3-2 at home to MS Tira.

Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad’s first-half scoring burst proved decisive. The hosts scored three times in the opening 35 minutes and protected the lead with a clean sheet. Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt was unable to answer after conceding early and could not reduce the deficit. Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad held its shape after the break and limited the visitors’ chances to get back into the match. The visitors finished the match without a goal and remained without a second-half breakthrough. Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad managed the closing stages without allowing Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt back into the match. The home side finished with three goals and did not concede, while Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt ended the match without a goal.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad 2, Hapoel Ihud Bnei Jatt 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad with a 66.7 percent probability to win. Maccabi Neve Shaanan Eldad had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.75.