Christakis Christoforou’s Apollon Limassol stormed to the top of the league table last night after a hard-fought 2-0 victory away to AEK Larnaca at the GSZ Stadium.
Elsewhere last night, APOEL cruised to an emphatic 5-0 win at home to AEK Kouklia with controversial striker Esmael Goncalves hitting a season-first hat-trick in the rout at the GSP Stadium.
The league leaders had been under the gun heading into last night’s encounter with their bitter rivals AEL ahead of them on goal difference but the Cyprus Cup holders responded in emphatic fashion as goals from French forward Abraham Gneki Guie and Argentinean playmaker Gaston Sangoy (photo) – who scored with breath-taking strike – ensured the Limassol club remained top of the standings after 11 matches.
Both players had also scored for Apollon last week in the Europa League.
Christoforou had rested a host of first team players – including keeper Bruno Vale – in last Thursday’s 4-2 defeat to Europa League opponents Trabzonspor in Turkey and the move paid off as the Limassol club turned up fresh to overpower AEK.
The Larnaca hosts began the stronger side with Gregor van Dijk and Nestor Mytides both testing Vale. But it was Apollon who got it right at the other end on 33 minutes when Alex Konstantinou raced past Cyprus under-21 teammate Nikolas Englezou and delivered a cross for Guie to strike past Alexander Negri.
Both sides missed chances after the break with AEK asking most of the questions. Adrian Lucero, Helder Castro and Colombian forward Harold Reina all went close but were repelled by Vale and some resolute defending by Christos Karipides and Rachid Hamdani.
Sangoy put the game beyond doubt in the first minute of stoppage time when he curled a beautifully-executed free-kick into Negri’s top right hand corner.
Apollon will next take on Nea Salamina at home on Saturday on the same day that second place AEL travel to Nicosia to take on Doxa Katokopia.
The final whistle brought joy to Apollon while the mood at AEK was made even more sombre when chairman Costas Michaelides announced that he was resigning from his post at the Larnaca club.
AEK are currently eighth in the league standings and ten points behind the top four positions leading into Europe next season. The Larnaca club are aiming to return to Europe next season for the first time since 2011 when they made history by becoming the first Cypriot side to reach the group stages of the Europa League.
APOEL rampant
In the other game last night, APOEL bounced back from last week’s disappointing draws against Doxa Katokopia and Maccabi Tel Aviv by thrashing AEK Kouklion 5-0.
Giorgos Donis’ side were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Doxa Katokopia last weekend and their misery was compounded when they laboured to a goalless draw at home to Maccabi on Thursday to all but end their hopes in the Europa League.
But the Cypriot title holders gave their fans something to cheer about last night when they put Kouklia to the sword with an uncharacteristic display of proficiency in front of goal.
Portuguese forward Goncalves – who missed of last month after being omitted from the squad by Donis for being late for training – responded in style by giving his side the lead after half-an-hour after some good work by Stathis Aloneftis.
Kouklia’s hopes of causing an upset were further hampered just before the interval when keeper Charalambos Kairinos sent Aloneftis crashing to the ground and was shown a straight red card after the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Veteran Brazilian winger Gustavo Manduca duly obliged and APOEL continued to pile on the pressure against the first division new comers.
Moments after the inspired Aloneftis saw his effort crash off substitute keeper Aristos Aristotelous crossbar, Constantinos Charalambides grabbed his first goal of the season on 54 minutes and Goncalves snatched his second of the night a minute later.
The 22-year-old on-loan Rio Ave forward got his third in the 83rd minute to take his season tally to six goals in both domestic and European competitions.
Kouklia’s Panagiotis Loukaides missed the visitors’ best chance early on when he failed to beat Urko Pardo and slipping past the APOEL defence.
The victory kept APOEL in touch with the teams above them with only third place Ermis Aradippou failing to win on the weekend.
They are still seven points adrift of leaders Apollon Limassol and Donis’ charges will now turn their attention to Ethnikos Achnas who they will face on Saturday at the Dasaki Stadium.
Meanwhile, third place will take on fourth on Sunday as Ermis Aradippou travel to Toni Savevski’s Omonia in the big game at the GSP Stadium.
Cyprus Weekly