Cyprus round-up: APOEL keep up pace

APOEL Nicosia FC stretched their unbeaten start to the Cypriot first division season to 12 games with a 3-1 win at top-flight newcomers Dighenis Morphou FC.

Sztipanovics double
Two goals from Barnabas Sztipanovics and a late strike from substitute Nektarios Alexandrou made Andros Panagiotou's late goal for Dighenis only a consolation and kept the champions a point clear at the top of the table.

Raufmann strikes again
Omonia Nicosia FC remain on APOEL's heels after defeating fellow title chasers Olympiakos Nicosia FC 3-1 in the capital derby. Olympiakos started the brighter side in an exciting first half, taking the lead in the 33rd minute through Michalis Christophi's header. But Omonia's response was swift as it was quick - Nicolas Georgiou poking the ball in after a goalmouth scramble. Rainer Rauffmann and Ljubisa Kekic scored after the break, with Rauffmann's penalty taking his season's tally to 16.
 
Thrilling draw
In the weekend's other derby clash, Alki Larnaca FC and AEK Larnaca FC played out a thrilling 2-2 draw. AEK took a first-half lead secured by two penalties tucked away by Greek attacking midfield player Kostas Frantzeskos, but Alki staged a second-half rally and managed to equalise in the space of a minute with goals from Akis Ioannou - who beat Dragoje Lekovic with a well-taken free-kick - and Marios Demetriou, and the points were shared as both sides then missed several chances to win the game.

Hard-earned victory
Anorthosis Famagusta FC - who had to recently undergo the shock of losing their influential chairman Kikis Konstantinou after 13 years at the helm - also kept their title challenge intact with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over AEL Limassol FC. Marios Neophytou's first-half double - his 13th and 14th goals this term - was decisive despite AEL captain Ermogenis Christophi's header after the break.

Other matches
Deboijsa Pladenovi's two second-half goals for Ethnikos Achnas FC were enough to beat bottom-placed Aris Limassol 2-0, while Apollon Limassol FC's match with Nea Salamis FC and AEP Paphos FC's fixture against Enosis Neon Paralimnou FC both ended in 0-0 draws.