KFAR SABA, Israel (Interstat) — Maccabi Bnei Raina scored twice in a four-minute burst early in the second half and held on for a 2-1 victory over Hapoel Kfar Saba on Monday at Levita Stadium. The visiting side moved to 2-2-3 in the competition this season and 2-2-3 across all competitions. Hapoel Kfar Saba fell to 3-4 in the competition and 3-4 overall. The match was scoreless at halftime before Maccabi Bnei Raina found the breakthrough and added a second goal before Hapoel Kfar Saba answered in stoppage time.

Mustafa Sheikh Yosef opened the scoring in the 53rd minute for Maccabi Bnei Raina, ending a tight first half that produced few clear chances. Hapoel Kfar Saba struggled to connect passes in the attacking third during the opening period, and Maccabi Bnei Raina’s midfield kept the game compact. Sheikh Yosef completed 90 minutes and finished with one goal. The goal shifted momentum toward the visitors, who continued to press for more space behind the Hapoel Kfar Saba defense. Maccabi Bnei Raina did not wait long to build on the lead.

Asil Knani doubled the advantage in the 59th minute, scoring for Maccabi Bnei Raina after the visitors worked the ball into a dangerous position. Knani also completed 90 minutes and recorded one goal. The two-goal cushion gave Maccabi Bnei Raina a firm grip on the match as Hapoel Kfar Saba searched for a way back into the contest. The home side increased its pressure and pushed numbers forward during the closing half-hour.

Hapoel Kfar Saba finally broke through in the third minute of stoppage time when Niv P. scored, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The home side could not find an equalizer in the remaining moments, and Maccabi Bnei Raina closed out the road win. The late goal made the finish tense, but Maccabi Bnei Raina’s lead held through the final whistle.

Maccabi Bnei Raina entered the match after a 1-1 draw with M. Herzliya and a 6-0 win at Ironi Modiin. Its recent results also included a 1-1 draw with H. Ironi Rishon, a 0-0 draw at H. Akko, a 2-1 home loss to Hapoel Kfar Shalem and a 2-1 home loss to H. Raanana. The victory over Hapoel Kfar Saba gave Maccabi Bnei Raina a second win in the competition and a second win across all competitions.

Hapoel Kfar Saba had won 3-0 at Maccabi Jaffa and 2-0 at home against Hapoel Afula in its two previous matches. The home side also had a 4-0 win at M. Nazareth, a 4-2 home loss to SC Ashdod, a 2-0 loss at Kiryat Yam and a 2-1 home loss to Bnei Yehuda. Hapoel Kfar Saba remained at three wins and four losses in the competition and across all competitions after the defeat.

The first half offered little in the way of scoring, with both teams cautious in possession and compact defensively. Maccabi Bnei Raina changed the match after halftime by scoring in the 53rd and 59th minutes. Hapoel Kfar Saba’s response came late, and the home side ran out of time after Niv P. pulled one goal back. Maccabi Bnei Raina managed the final stages well enough to secure the victory. Hapoel Kfar Saba had more of the ball in the final stages, but clear chances were limited until the stoppage-time goal. Maccabi Bnei Raina’s defenders cleared several deliveries into the box and kept the home side from building sustained pressure.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hapoel Kfar Saba 3, Maccabi Bnei Raina 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Hapoel Kfar Saba with a 54 percent probability to win. Maccabi Bnei Raina had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.