Cyprus round-up: AEL take top spot

Title contenders AEL Limassol FC had to rely on a 76th-minute own goal from Theodoros Ioannou to leapfrog APOEL Nicosia FC at the top of the Cypriot first division

Constanti opener
The own goal sealed a hard-fought 2-1 away victory over lowly Ethnikos Ashias FC on Sunday. With pressure on the visitors to grab a quick goal, Georgos Constanti’s 27th-minute strike had put AEL into a deserved lead but the celebrations were short lived as Ashias hit back barely three minutes later. Yugoslavian Deboijsa Pladenovic sent in a curling cross to the far post for his compatriot Sinisa Jovanovic to head the ball past goalkeeper Athos Chrysostomou.

Wasted chances
AEL worked hard to regain the lead but poor finishing from Jorgen Walemark and Lambros Lambrou kept Ashias in the game. The hosts also missed a few chances to take the lead themselves, first through Pladenovic and then Koullis Pavlides. Ioannou’s late intervention eventually gave AEL the breathing space they needed, as the hapless Ashias player turned Tommis Chrysostomou’s seemingly harmless cross past his own keeper Neoklis Neokleous.

Obajdin debut
Elsewhere on Sunday, Omonia FC’s new Czech signing Jozef Obajdin made the perfect debut for his club as he scored the third goal in Omonia’s 3-0 win away at last-placed Ermis Aradippos FC, who have yet to pick up a point this season. Vesko Mihajlovic put Omonia ahead with a 42nd-minute penalty following a foul on Georgos Theodotou from Petros Georgiou. Elias Charalambous doubled his side’s lead with a first-time volley on 70 minutes and finally Obajdin delighted the travelling Omonia fans with a powerful header from Kostas Kaiafas’s cross in the 73rd minute.