Cyprus round-up: APOEL stumble

Cypriot Division A leaders APOEL Nicosia FC crashed to a 3-1 defeat against title challengers Anorthosis Famagusta FC on Saturday.

Poles boost Anorthosis
Anorthosis took a 14th-minute lead against the run of play after Christos Velis’s tantalising cross was headed home by Polish striker Wojciech Kowalczyk. Another Pole, Slawomir Majak, made it 2-0 barely 10 minutes later, latching on to Panicos Pounas’s pass to beat goalkeeper Michalis Morfis.

Consolation goal
Velis’s second goal of the game, a 54th-minute header from Marios Neophytou’s cross, wrapped up the points for Anorthosis although APOEL subsequently managed a late consolation goal through a Sinisa Gogic penalty. APOEL’s defeat gives AEL Limassol FC a great chance to seize top spot when they meet Ethnikos Ashias FC on Sunday.

Olympiakos's problems mount
Olympiakos Nicosia FC's problems mounted in Limassol as Apollon Limassol FC defeated Pambis Tennes's men 3-1. Early goals from Christos Marangos and Milenko Spoljaric gave the hosts a deserved 2-0 lead but injury-stricken Olympiakos came out stronger in the second half and managed to pull a goal back through their Slovakian striker Josef Kozlej. However, Yugoslavian midfield player Sinisa Dobrasinovic secured the points for Apollon.

Achnas steal through
Ethnikos Achnas FC took three valuable points away to AEP Paphos FC as Christos Poyiatzis’s second-half strike sent the hosts crashing to a 2-1 defeat. Doxa Katokopia FC earned a creditable 1-1 draw away to Alki FC in Larnaca while AEK Larnaca FC avenged their 2-0 defeat against Enosis Neon Paralimni FC in the Cypriot Cup by beating them 2-0 in Paralimni.