Anorthosis, Salamina victorious, Draw in Dasaki
CYPRIOT FIRST DIVISION - MATCHDAY 14
| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-Dec-19 | Anorthosis | 5 - 1 | Paralimni |
| 21-Dec-19 | Pafos | PP | Apollon Limassol |
| 22-Dec-19 | Ol. Nicosia | 0 - 3 | Salamina |
| 22-Dec-19 | Ethnikos Achnas | 1 - 1 | Doxa Katokopia |
The final matches of 2019 in the Cypriot First Division were played out over the weekend with Salamina and Anorthosis celebrating victories while Olympiakos Nicosia and Ethnikos Achnas played to a draw
The final matches of 2019 in the Cypriot First Division were played out over the weekend with Salamina Ammochostou beating Olympiakos Nicosia away 3:0 and Ethnikos Achnas playing to a 1-1 draw with Doxa Katokopias. Earlier on Friday, Anorthosis Ammochostou thumped Enosis Neon Paralimniou at home with a 5:1 scoreline. Saturday’s fixture between Pafos and Apollon Limassol was postponed due to lighting problems at the Stelios Kyriakides Stadium.
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Starting from Larnaca and the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Anorthosis did not waste time in laying siege to Paralimni’s net. In the 14th minute, Nikos Kaltsas and Nika Kacharava combined in the penalty area with the Greek striker sending a beautiful effort into Paralimni’s net. Ten minutes later, it was Tornike Okriashvili’s turn, as Ruben Rayos set him up against Kleyman, and he made no mistake to double the hosts’ lead. In the 31st minute, Kacharava received a long ball from Renato Margaca and converted his opportunity to make it 3:0. Paralimni managed to pull one back two minutes later, as Ernest Agyiri’s effort inside the Anorthosis penalty area deflected into Giorgi Loria’s nets. However, the hosts struck again just before the half-time whistle with Kacharava breaking behind the defense to score his second of the game and make it 4:1 to Anorthosis.
The extended scoreline resulted in a slow-paced second half as Anorthosis sat comfortably on their lead while Paralimni were unable to get back into the game. The icing on the cake for the Famagusta team came in the 80th minute from their best player this season, Rayos. From a set-piece, the Spanish playmaker beat Kleyman for a fifth time to wrap up a big win for his side.
Anorthosis are now a point short of leaders Omonoia Nicosia, but still, have a game in hand. Paralimni remain deeply in trouble, just a point clear of last-placed Doxa and four points away from Pafos (Paralimni also have a game in hand).
The other Famagusta team, Salamina, visited in-form Olympiakos at the Makareio Stadium in Nicosia in a game of great importance for both sides. A slow first half saw Olympiakos playing better, but without any significant scoring chances. Only in the 30th minute did Tasos Kissas had to take off and deny Dylan Duventru a goal for Olympiakos, stopping his rocket from around the penalty spot.
Salamina drew first blood in the 56th minute when Jay Simpson made a move from the left side, sending in the assist to Kingsley Onuegbu, who beat Pavol Bajza. The game opened up after the goal, but both teams failed to create real opportunities until Kingsley struck again in the 76th minute. A perfect ball from the left by Anderson Correia found Kingsley uncovered in the heart of the Olympiakos defense, where he headed it home. Kingsley did not stop there, though, as he completed the hat-trick in second-half stoppage time. It was another assist from Correia, and another header from Kingsley as the hosts formed the final 3:0 scoreline.
Salamina jumped over Olympiakos into seventh place and are only one point shy of sixth-placed AEK Larnaca while Olympiakos retreated to eight.
At the Dasaki of Achna, the local side Ethnikos hosted last-placed Doxa with both teams targeting the three points. That provided fans with an open game, and it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the 35th minute when Vincent Laban took the free-kick, and Jovan Kostovski headed it past Armin Gremsl. Ethnikos looked the better side on the pitch, and if it were not for Gremal’s reflexes, they would have likely doubled their lead.
Doxa improved and managed to level things in the 73rd minute, however, when Benjamin Asamoah’s shot was turned in by Christopher Glombard in his attempt to block the effort. Both teams pushed for a winner in the final minutes, but both keepers were up to the task as they kept the scoreline intact.
Ethnikos are ninth, five points clear of the danger zone, while Doxa remained last, five points behind the safe zone.
