Anorthosis keep the pace with win over AEK Larnaca
CYPRIOT FIRST DIVISION - CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP (MATCHDAY 1)
Anorthosis stayed level with first-placed Omonoia with a 3-0 win at home to AEK Larnaca at the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca.
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An early own goal charged to Ivan Trickovski gave Anothosis the start they wanted, and in the second half, Tornike Okriashvili and Gordon Schildenfeld added onto the lead.
Anorthosis remain in second, trailing Omonoia only via a tie-breaker, and kept the pressure on the Nicosia side. AEK remain in fifth place with the loss.
THE MATCH
The two captains combined to give Anorthosis the start they wanted in just the fifth minute. Ruben Rayos curled in a free-kick that went off the head of Ivan Trickovski and past Tono Ramirez. Trickovski scores regularly on opposing keepers, not so much his own, and the own goal put Anorthosis ahead 1-0.
AEK tried to respond as Jose Naranjo attempted a shot from a sharp angle, but Giorgi Loria sealed the post and made the save. Anorthosis looked to double their advantage when Giorgos Gkalitsios crossed in for Kostakis Artymatas, and Ramirez made an excellent save to keep him at bay. Naranjo had a free-kick from well outside the box, and it beat Loria, but the Georgian keeper was bailed out by his right post. Anorthosis remained ahead at halftime, 1-0.
Just six minutes into the second half, another free-kick that should have been harmless was more trouble than it was worth and extended the Anorthosis lead to 2-0. Tornike Okriashvili curled in a low free-kick that Ramirez should have easily gathered and held, but instead, the Spanish keeper misplayed it, and it went through his legs.
AEK seemed to have lost their will to play after that, and Anorthosis continued to dominate. Sure enough, they got a third goal out of it. Rayos played in a corner that Gordon Schildenfeld headed past Tono Ramirez to make it 3-0 for the home side in the 67th minute.
That score stood up as the final score, an excellent response to Omonoia’s win yesterday as Anorthosis match them with a 3-0 win at home to AEK Larnaca.
LINEUPS
Anorthosis (Timur Ketsbaia): 1. Giorgi Loria(GK), 3. Giorgos Gkalitsios, 4. Kostakis Artymatas, 5. Gordon Schildenfeld, 8. Murtaz Daushvili, 10. Ruben Rayos(Captain), 11. Tornike Okriashvili(‘81 16. Theodoros Vasilakakis), 22. Branko Vrgoc, 28. Renato Margaca(‘69 9. Nika Kacharava), 33. Yevhen Selin, 49. Jano Ananidze(‘55 24. Giorgos Manthatis)
AEK Larnaca (David Caneda): 25. Tono Ramirez(GK), 2. Simranjit Thandi, 4. Joan Truyols, 6. Abraham Gonzalez, 7. Matija Spoljaric, 10. Ivan Trickovski(Captain), 13. Hector Hevel, 17. Jose Manuel Fernandez, 18. Mikel Gonzalez, 28. Jose Naranjo(‘73 31. Konstantinos Konstantinou), 99. Apostolos Giannou(54 8. Acoran)
HIGHLIGHTS
