AEK delight at first honour
Sunday, May 23, 2004
Article summary
AEK Larnaca FC beat AEL Limassol FC in a dramatic Cypriot Cup final to claim their first major trophy.
Article body
Level pegging
Formed in 1994 from the merger of Pezoporikos FC and EPA Larnaca FC, AEK took a 24th-minute lead in Nicosia's GSP stadium when Makis Papaioannou headed in Christos Stylianides's corner. However, AEL equalised six minutes before half-time, Congolese international Jean-Paul Boeka-Lisasi turning in a Pambos Pittas free-kick.
Last-gasp winner
AEL picked up the pace in the second half, and in the 75th minute Xenios Kyriakou missed the target from close range. But AEK held on and, with a minute to go, Papaioannou scored the winner with another powerful header from a corner.
'A historic day'
Ecstatic scenes followed, and AEK chairman Thomas Kyriakou declared: "This is an historic day for Larnaca football and hopefully the starting point for many trophies to come."
