Maccabi Petah Tikva draws 2-2 with Rishon

Bnei Yehuda trumps Ashdod with late penalty.

By ALLON SINAI
Abuksis 311 (photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Abuksis 311
(photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Maccabi Petah Tikva squandered an opportunity to move within two points of league-leader Maccabi Tel Aviv on Monday night after it was held to a 2-2 draw by Hapoel Rishon Lezion.
After coming on as a 14th minute substitute, Dor Halevi gave the visitors a 41st minute lead at National Stadium in Ramat Gan, only for Petah Tikva to turn the match on its head within four second-half minutes.
Tomer Elbaz equalized four minutes after the break before Victor Merey put Petah Tikva in front in the 52nd minute.
However, Halevi denied the hosts their fourth win in five matches with his second goal of the night in the 85th minute, catching goalkeeper Liran Strauber off-guard with his shot from 20 meters out.
Bnei Yehuda won its first home match of the season on Monday, beating Ashdod SC 1-0 at Bloomfield Stadium.
Pedro Galvan scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 84th minute after a contentious decision by referee Guy Berger.