By Charlie Charalambous
CYPRUS went to the top of group 6 after beating San Marino 4-0 at the Euro 2000 qualifying match in Limassol last night.
The unfancied Cypriots, ranked 78th in the world by Fifa, now top their group by two points, ahead of Austria, Spain and Israel who all have games in hand. Luckless San Marino stay bottom with four defeats.
It was a night of records in Limassol, with Cyprus scoring their biggest ever international victory. Their previous best score was a 3-0 defeat of Malta in a friendly,
Cyprus now go to Tel Aviv on March 28 full of confidence to play Israel as group leaders.
Midfielder Milenko Spoliaric nearly put Cyprus ahead as early as the 3rd minute, but San Marino goalkeeper Federico Gasperoni made a brave save at his legs from close range.
However, the inevitable breakthrough came after 18 minutes, when Vassos Melanarkitis scored from six yards after the goalkeeper had failed to hold a long-range shot from Spoliaric.
The second goal came just past the half hour after some excellent wing play on the left by Costas Malekkos, who went past two defenders and put in an inch-perfect cross which found Michalis Constantinou unmarked in the box.
Constantinou, the 20-year-old who plays his football for Iraklis in Greece, scored his second goal of the night just before half time when he beat the off-side trap and slotted the ball home low past the despairing Gasperoni.
San Marino failed to get a shot on target during the first half and only had a few half chances near the end of the game, when the Cypriot defence got tired. The visitors’ best chance fell to substitute Nicola Bacchiocchi on 54 minutes, when he intercepted a back pass by Pambos Pittas, but Cyprus goalkeeper Nicos Panayiotou rushed quickly off his line to smother the danger.
Although Cyprus were the better side throughout, they seemed to take their foot off the pedal in the second half, with Marios Christodoulou’s last- minute headed goal the only attempt on target of the half.
The only other highlight of a disappointing second half had earlier been an extravagant lob from 40 yards by Malekkos – the best player on the night – which just missed the target.
