Freddy on the spot to send Omonia clear
FREDDY’S two second-half penalties were more than enough to see Omonia overcome basement boys Anagennisi Derynias 2-0 to go two points clear at the top of the standings in Cyprus.
Omonia manager Neophytos Larkou was pleased with his players, but stressed that the victory should have been sealed much earlier. “Today we played well - we held the ball and created chances. With all the opportunities we had we should have put the game beyond any doubt much earlier than we actually did,” he explained.
“However, I am pleased with our overall performance as we were patient and played smart. I want to congratulate my players on their effort and our fans who came to support us.
“Also, congratulations to Anagennisi on their resistance and I believe that if they continue to play like this they will definitely collect some more points,” Larkou concluded.
The early afternoon clash between AEL and APOEL at the Tsirion Stadium in Limassol ended goalless. The defending champions dominated in the first half, but the hosts improved their game in the second.
“It was a very close game with all players being visibly nervous,” said APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic. “We started well and should have scored in the first half. After the interval AEL were better and we were unable to create a single goal opportunity,” he added.
According to AEL manager Charalambous Christodoulou, “both teams share a similar tactic so it was always going to be tight.
“We were not good enough defensively in the beginning, but we corrected that as the game progressed. I also believe that the poor pitch was one of the factors which clearly contributed to the final result,” he said.
Omonia top the standings with 43 points, while AEL are in second and APOEL in third with 41 and 40 points respectively.
Anorthosis remained on 38 points in fourth place after a 1-0 loss to Aris in Limassol.
Elsewhere, Nea Salamina and Olympiakos Nicosia played out a 1-1 draw, while Enosis Neon Paralimni beat AEK Larnaca 1-0.
Apollon Limassol also celebrated a 1-0 win over Ethnikos Achnas away from home.
In the final match of Round 19, Alki took on Ermis Aradippou at the GSZ Stadium in Larnaca last night.
Freddy’s two second-half penalties saw off Anagennisi