Hapoel Tel Aviv's women booked their place in the next round of the State Cup on Tuesday evening, beating Kiryat Gat 2-0 thanks to a double from midfielder Eden Avital.
Avital opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes, converting from the penalty spot in the 8th minute, and doubled the lead in the 33rd to put the tie beyond doubt before the break, according to ONE.
The result was one of three second-round matches played on the night as report by ONE. Across town, Maccabi Ashdod Tel Aviv also advanced, edging Hapoel Ra'anana 1-0 through a goal from Ayelet Cohen.
The night's biggest scoreline belonged to Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem, who put three past Maccabi Holon without reply. Michaela Vorko broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, Ella Ben Tzvi doubled it early in the second half in the 56th, and Zhayeli Gomes da Silva completed the win late on in the 84th.
The round is not yet finished: Maccabi Karshonot Hadera were still to host Netanya in the fourth second-round tie, a fixture ONE reported was scheduled for the following day.
For Hapoel Tel Aviv, the win keeps alive a campaign in a competition their opponents know well - Kiryat Gat won the State Cup, league and Athena Cup treble in Avital's own playing spell there a few seasons back, before she moved on to Hapoel. Tuesday's result flips that history, with her goals now working against her old club.
Ahead of kick-off, a preview from Tel Aviv-Yafo's BE106 had billed the tie as Hapoel Tel Aviv's Rehovot debut, with the club's women's side playing its opening fixture at a new ground in the city rather than at Bloomfield Stadium, the club's traditional Tel Aviv home.
