Hapoel Acre Ends 1,035-Minute Goal Drought in 2-2 Draw With Rishon LeZion

Hapoel Acre ended a run of 1,035 league minutes without scoring in a 2-2 home draw with Hapoel Rishon LeZion on Friday. Acre came from behind twice, with Alaa Jafar scoring the second equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time. The draw gave Acre its second league point of the season and its first under coach Nimrod Kustika. Ezekiel Henty headed Rishon LeZion in front before Liam Vatmahter broke Acre's scoring drought in the 45th minute. Vatmahter scored with a shot from outside the penalty area, bringing Acre level before the interval. The home side had entered the match without a goal in its first 11 league games, a sequence comprising ten defeats and one draw, with 28 goals conceded. Elijus Jankauskas restored Rishon LeZion's advantage in the 47th minute. Acre later lost Liel Chana to a red card, but Jafar finished from close range after a scramble to secure the late draw. Rishon LeZion finished a fifth successive away match without a win. The league breakthrough followed Acre's 5-0 victory over third-tier MS Tira on Monday, October 26, in the seventh round of the State Cup. That cup result had ended the team's scoring wait in a different competition; Friday's goals ended the separate drought in league play.