Apollon defeat leaders Omonoia in Limassol
 

CYPRIOT FIRST DIVISION - MATCHDAY 15

Apollon Limassol kick-off 2020 with an important 2-1 win over Omonoia at home in Saturday's Cypriot First Division action.

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Apollon started the new year and decade in the way they wanted, with a 2-1 win at home to Omonoia at the Tsirion Stadio in Limassol. An Emilio Zelaya penalty and a second-half goal by Facundo Pereyra gave Apollon a commanding two-goal lead. A late consolation goal from Matt Derbyshire only broke the clean sheet as his second-half stoppage-time marker was too little too late for the visitors.

Omonoia remain in first place for now, but Anorthosis have yet to play this weekend. Apollon improve to fourth place with Saturday's victory. 

THE MATCH

Apollon started with more jump. Diego Aguirre was the first to put an attempt on target, but Fabiano saw it all the way. A bit of controversy helped them pay it off, a cross into the box, both Adam Lang and Emilio Zelaya went up for it, and Lang's left arm knocked Zelaya down. The call could have gone either way, but the penalty was awarded.

Zelaya was allowed the chance to finish his own play, and though Fabiano dove the right way, the Apollon forward managed to do so, and the 28th-minute penalty gave Apollon the 1-0 lead they were looking for. 

Omonoia tried to respond, and Eric Bautheac struck a free-kick that Joel Mall took care of. After that, however, Apollon went right back to work. Fabiano came up large with a save on Gianniotas, and then first-half stoppage produced two brilliant saves on Zelaya, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of the hosts going into halftime.

Omonoia were more ready to begin the second half as Matt Derbyshire found Bautheac in space, and he had Mall beat, but the Swiss keeper was bailed out by the crossbar. 

A tragic mistake proved fatal at the other end. Joao Pedro played in an innocent cross that Fabiano should have routinely caught. Instead, he inexplicably dropped it, and as he tried to gather it, Facundo Pereyra was able to get enough of a touch on it to collect an easy goal in the 78th minute to make it 2-0.

Trying to breathe some life into their attack, Omonoia inserted the young Andronikos Kakkoulis into the match, and he tested Mall immediately, but Mall answered with a great save. Omonoia rained fire on the Apollon net, and Mall stopped efforts from both Derbyshire and Charis Mavrias. The visitors, though, did break through in stoppage time as Jordi Gomez set up a headed goal for Derbyshire, but it was too little, too late. 

Apollon edged Omonoia 2-1 with Fabiano's mistake proving to be the difference in the end.

LINEUPS

Apollon(Sofronis Avgousti): 36. Joel Mall(GK), 17. Joao Pedro, 2. Emilio Nsue(‘46 13. Marios Antoniadis), 4. Vahid Selimovic, 41. Attila Szalai, 18. Diego Aguirre, 5. Esteban Sachetti, 10. Sasa Markovic, 20. Giannis Gianniotas(‘81 9. Ioannis Pittas), 26. Fotis Papoulis(Captain)(‘35 14. Facundo Pereyra), 11. Emilio Zelaya

Omonoia(Henning Berg): 40. Fabiano(GK), 35. Charis Mavrias, 22. Adam Lang, 15. Tomas Hubocan, 17. Jan Lecjaks, 8. Vitor Gomes, 16. Jordi Gomez, 11. Eric Bautheac, 70. Thiago, 20. Michael Ortega(‘78 80. Andronikos Kakkoulis), 27. Matt Derbyshire(Captain)

HIGHLIGHTS

by Andreas Mantzas

Image Source: SportFM Cyprus

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