Apollon deal Anorthosis first loss of the season
CYPRIOT FIRST DIVISION - MATCHDAY 13
Apollon introduced Anorthosis to the loss column for the first time this season as they recorded a 2-0 win at the Tsirion Stadio in Limassol.
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A pair of second-half goals by Fotis Papoulis and Emilio Zelaya got the job done, in a match that Apollon were the better side in for most of the 90 minutes.
Anorthosis remain in first place, but the door is open for everyone else to catch up. Apollon are in third place, two points behind Omonoia, and four behind Anorthosis.
THE MATCH
The home side were ready to go in this one. Joao Pedro had an early free-kick, but Giorgi Loria saw it all the way, and then, Sasa Markovic found himself in space, but he skied the shot over the net. Despite Apollon carrying the play, neither side found the back of the net in the first half.
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Apollon pulled ahead, and in the 52nd minute, they finally did. Fotis Papoulis dribbled and hesitated, which threw off Branko Vrgoc and opened up a lane to shoot, and when he did, he unleashed a well-placed strike into the top corner past Loria, making it 1-0 for Apollon.
Giannis Gianniotas had an impressive shot from distance, but Loria had an equally remarkable save waiting for him. Ruben Rayos tried to set his side up for an equalizer with a corner, and he found Gordon Schildenfeld, but his header was straight into the arms of the Apollon keeper Joel Mall. Then a cross by Murtaz Daushvili caught Mall out of position, but just when Michal Duris was ready to bury the finish, Attila Szalai managed to block it just enough to redirect it onto the post.
Instead, Apollon put this one to bed with an 83rd-minute corner. Papoulis got his head on it, the ball remained loose in the box, and Emilio Zelaya found it first, sliding it past Loria, to make it 2-0 and cementing the win.
LINEUPS
Apollon(Sofronis Avgousti): 36. Joel Mall(GK), 4. Vahid Selimovic, 5. Esteban Sachetti, 9. Ioannis Pittas(‘46 20. Giannis Gianniotas), 10. Sasa Markovic, 11. Emilio Zelaya, 17. Joao Pedro, 18. Diego Aguirre(‘83 88. Giorgos Vasiliou), 25. Chambos Kyriakou(‘77 3. Marios Antoniadis), 26. Fotis Papoulis(Captain), 41. Attila Szalai
Anorthosis(Timur Ketsbaia): 1. Giorgi Loria(GK), 4. Kostakis Artymatas, 5. Gordon Schildenfeld, 6. Panayiotis Artymatas(‘55 8. Murtaz Daushvili), 9. Nika Kacharava(‘55 18. Michal Duris), 10. Ruben Rayos(Captain), 11. Tornike Okriashvili(‘70 24. Giorgos Manthatis), 22. Branko Vrgoc, 28. Renato Margaca, 33. Yevhen Selin, 48. Michalis Ioannou
HIGHLIGHTS
