Ironi Kiryat Shmona shrugged off a laboured performance to beat Ironi Tiberias 1-0 in the second round of the Toto Cup on Saturday, and manager Shai Barda made clear afterwards that he cared far more about the result than the display.
"This shows a type of character," Barda said of the victory. "We didn't play well today, but the win is important."
The only goal, scored at Ramat Hasharon Stadium, arrived in the 61st minute from Rufat Abdullazade, a new arrival to the club who marked his first goal in Kiryat Shmona colours with an emotional response. "I feel excellent. First goal and I'm happy to be here," he said, adding that he had found Israel "an amazing country" since joining.
Barda's explanation for the disjointed performance was straightforward: he sent out nine changes from his previous lineup, still trying to work fresh faces and returning squad members into a settled unit before the competitive season begins in earnest. "We changed nine players, it will take time to connect," he said.
For Tiberias, the defeat was their second in a row in the competition, and assistant coach Moti Crispin did not shy away from the toll that squad rotation and absences are taking on his group. "The rotation is overwhelming us. We can see fatigue," Crispin said, pointing to missing players as a growing concern for a side already leaning on inexperienced squad members.
Tiberias player Ido Sharon, who has found himself playing alongside youth-team reinforcements while regulars are unavailable, struck a more optimistic note, saying he still believed the club would meet its targets for the season despite the current thin numbers.
The Toto Cup remains largely a proving ground at this stage of the Israeli football calendar, giving coaches like Barda room to experiment with personnel before league points are on the line — even if it means his side wins ugly along the way.
