Anorthosis score last-minute penalty to beat Pafos FC

A last-minute penalty by Tornike Okriashvili gave Anorthosis a dramatic 1-0 win away to Pafos FC on Friday night as the second round of the Cyprus football championship got underway.

It was Anorthosis’ second win in as many games in a contest that Pafos FC will feel hard done by as they were much the better side, especially in the second half, where they lost a host of chances, including a hotly disputed penalty that was saved by their Georgian goalkeeper Loria.

Loria was clearly man of the match as he kept Anorthosis in the game with second half saves from Angulo (penalty), Rakels (twice) and Va.

Anorthosis created just one chance in the second half with Okriasvili heading wide from close range. The same player though had no problem in beating Pafos FC’s goalkeeper from the penalty spot after referee Nicolaou awarded the Famagusta team this time, a soft penalty.

In the second Friday night game AEL came from behind againnst Nea Salamina to maintain their perfect start to the season and leave their opponents pointless after the first couple of games.

Wagner had given Salamina the lead late in the first half but their joy was shortlived as Mmaee equalized from the penalty spot five minutes later.

Shortly after the break Wagner had the chance to restore Salamina’s lead but he shot well over Vozinia’s goal from close range.

In the 68th minute Mina Antoniou scored the winning goal after heading past Vezelofski following a pin-point cross from Torres.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.