Beitar Fails to Qualify for Toto Cup Semi-Finals, Loses Both Istvans

Teddy Stadium, December 18 - Some days are not worth getting out of bed for... Beitar's game with Bnei-Yehuda today ended in a disappointing 2:2 tied score, and added Istvan Salloi and Istvan Pisont to Ronen Harazi in Beitar's sick list. Bnei-Yehuda opened with an Alon Mizrahi goal, after (a rare) mistake of Itsik Kornfein. Toward half-time, Mizrahi added a second goal with a penalty kick. In the second half, Eli Ohana headed in corner kick, and equalized with a penalty kick, but the 2:2 score allowed Bnei-Yehuda to qualify for the Toto-Cup semi-finals, where it will play against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Worse news for Beitar are the injuries of the two Hungarian stars, Istvan Salloi and Istvan Pisont. Pisont was hurt in his knee in a tackle, and Salloi, who could not open due to an injury in his thigh, was asked to take his place. Within 10 minutes, he was also forced to leave the field, and the current prognosis is that he will be out for at least 5 weeks. The extent of Pisont's injury will be assessed tomorrow.

Toto Cup Game Passes Uneventfully

Beitar Jerusalem - Hapoel Taibe 1:0

October 5th 1996  Beitar Jerusalem beat Hapoel Taibe today 1:0, as Istvan Pisont scored in the 81st minute. The Toto cup victory was marred by Shmulik Levy's expulsion in the 35th minute by referee Eyal Zur. Although no one seems to have seen Shmulik's offense, the referee's interpretion of a Taibe player's fall after bumping into Levy was severe, and he pulled out the red card. The right-wing defender will miss the coming game against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The decisive goal was scored by Istvan Pisont in the 81st minute, while Ronen Harazi missed a penalty kick in the 32nd minute. Beitar now ranks second in its section of the Toto Cup games, with the same number of points as Bnei Yehuda, the section leader.