Apollon maintain the top spot in Cyprus after a 2-0 win over Ethnikos Achna’s with their goals coming from Papoullis and Gie.
AEL maintained their hopes of a top six finish with a narrow 1-0 win over AEK, while APOEL returned to winning ways after two months. Omonia moved up to third after defeating Doxa Katokopias with Anorthosis and Ayia Napa the other weekend winners. Sardiniero’s goal eighteen minutes from time was enough to give AEL all three points against AEK at the empty Tsireion on Sunday.
It was a poor game that neither side deserved to win. As AEL’s coach Christakis Christophorou quite rightly said after the game “perhaps a draw would have been a fairer result”. It could all have been different had AEK’s Monteiro not blasted the ball over the bar with an open goal beckoning when the score was level. AEK’s coach Christiansen rued his side’s missed chances and said that against quality teams you will be penalised when you fail to take your chances.
AEL’s weekend joy was compounded by bottom of the table Ayia Napa’s win over Ermis Aradippou by two goals to one. This allowed the Limassol team to move within two points of Ermis Aradippou with a top six finish calling. Ayia Napa got off to a dream start and were two up with just twenty minutes on the clock with both goals coming from Curjric. Ermis pulled a goal back late in the game but it was all too little too late.
APOEL got their first win in almost two months as they defeated Nea Salamina with Rafik Djebbour notching the all important goal early in the game. New APOEL signings Lanig and Nafiu made their debuts as did Nea Salamina’s Giorgi Papava.
Omonia were comfortable winners over Doxa 4-2 despite being without their star midfielder Nuno Assis. Omonia’s runaway top scorer Pote grabbed a brace and took his goal tally to 14, three ahead of second placed Onilo of Ermis. Ramos got the other two while Doxa hit back through Lopo.
In the weekends last game Anorthosis had to dig deep to defeat Othellos Athienou with goals at the beginning and end of the game. Makris gave the Famagusta team a dream start in the fourth minute but had to wait until the 90th minute to make sure of the three points when Goncalves scored on his debut.
Results:
Saturday
Nea Salamina – APOEL 0-1
Agia Napa – Ermis Aradippou 2-1
Sunday
Omonia – Doxa 4-2
Othellos – Anorthosis 0-2
AEL – AEK 1-0
Monday
Ethnicos – Apollon (19:00)
1 APOLLON LIMASSOL 17 36
2 APOEL NICOSIA 18 36
3 OMONOIA NICOSIA 18 32
4 A.E.K.LARNAKA 18 31
5 ANORTHOSIS 18 31
6 ERMIS ARADIPPOU 18 27
7 AEL LIMASSOL 18 25
8 ETHNIKOS ACHNAS 17 20
9 NEA SALAMINA 18 17
10 OTHELLOS ATHIAINOU 18 14
11 DOXA KATOKOPIAS 18 14
12 AGIA NAPA 18 12