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Super-Sub Edinho Salvages AEK Victory
He's done it again...a week after coming off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw for his AEK side against Aris, Portuguese striker Edinho has salvaged a late victory for the Athenians against a plucky Ergotelis in the nation's capital.
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Dec 21, 2008 4:44:34 PM
AEK Athens moved into fourth place on the Greek Super League table after substitute Edinho scored a late winner during their entertaining 3-2 win over Ergotelis.
It is the second week in a row the Portuguese striker has rescued his side, following his equalizer after he came off the bench during their 1-1 draw with Aris last round.
However, it was anything but a deserved victory for Dusan Bajevic's men at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium, Nikos Karageorgiou's Cretan side twice coming from behind to draw level before conceding a heartbreaking 85th minute goal.
First Half
Ergotelis side should have had the lead after just three minutes of play in Athens, Patrick Ogunsoto almost capitalizing on a defensive error by Angelos Basinas.
In an unfamiliar role at right-back, the much maligned Greece international attempted to head the ball back to goalkeeper Sebastian Saja but only succeeded in hitting the back of defender Juanfran, Ergotelis’ Nigerian striker pouncing on the ball but hitting it straight at the AEK shot-stopper from close range.
The Cretans were punished barely two minutes later when Rafik Djebbour received an Ignacio Scocco pass on the left of the penalty area before cutting onto his right foot and opening the scoring by beating Iosif Daskalakis his near post.
With AEK’s defence looking conspicuously fragile, Vasilis Koutsianikoulis found space on the right side of the penalty area after just 25 minutes, from where he cut inside Greece international Sotiris Kyrgiakos before curling an effort well wide of the top right corner of Saja’s goal.
It was a sign of Ergotelis’ existence as a legitimate attacking threat in the game, the absence of first-choice centre-back Daniel Majstorovic noticeable.
Dusan Bajevic’s men were nonetheless delivering an improved performance in Athens, Tamandani Nsaliwa almost doubling their lead just before the half-hour mark, heading a Manduca header just past the left post.
Again though, it was the visitors looking the more threatening in attacking positions, the mobile Ogunsoto holding the ball up for Junior on the edge of the penalty area, the Brazilian’s strike forcing a good save from Saja.
They scored a deserved equaliser through Michail Fragoulakis on 38 minutes however, the elusive Koutsianikoulis dribbling in-field and slipping the ball into the path of his teammate, who then beat Saja with a superb low strike from outside the area.
In what was becoming an increasingly open encounter, an attempted cross by Ismael Blanco almost restored AEK’s lead when it caught out Daskalakis and bounced away off the far post.
The Argentine striker did manage to score moments later though, courtesy of some brilliant innovation by strike partner Rafik Djebbour.
The Algerian took the ball in his stride, entering the penalty box and managing to force the ball around Daskalakis.
With his body facing away from goal and a defender between him, the former Panionios man back-heeled the ball to the unmarked Blanco, who finished into an empty net to make it 2-1 to the hosts.
Second Half
It was the lively Ignacio Scocco who had AEK’s first attempt of the second half, sending his low shot from outside the area just wide of Daskalakis’ left upright as the home side tried to carry over whatever attacking momentum was left from a relatively open first half of football.
They managed to construct a decent opening for Pantelis Kafes on 53 minutes, whose low shot from inside the area was shaved sharply by Daskalakis.
Ogunsoto then came within inches of beating the Ergotelis keeper’s opposite number, getting ahead of centre-back Geraldo Alves at the near post and flicking Plassnegger’s right-winged cross just wide of the far-post, with Saja statuesque in the AEK goal.
After largely nullifying the attacking threat posed by the travelling Cretans, Mario Budimir’s audacious flick on half-way was almost the catalyst for an Ergotelis equalizer on 69 minutes.
The Croatian’s creative burst allowed the effervescent Koutsianikoulis to enter the penalty area unchallenged before lifting a bouncing ball over the approaching Saja, his effort headed away by Alves.
With Dusan Bajevic’s side gradually sitting deeper and disappearing as an attacking threat, Ergotelis again grabbed a deserved equalizer on 76 minutes.
Substitute Dimitrios Geladaris found space to cross from the left flank, his delivery finding a completely unmarked Mario Budimir inside the box from where the impressive midfielder sent a powerful header past Saja from close-range.
AEK’s players might have been visibly stunned by the goal but it was a just reward for an Ergotelis side who on their last visit to the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium had shown a similar attacking endeavour that earned them a surprise 3-2 win against Panathinaikos.
It was the introduction of Portuguese striker Edinho that brought about a dramatic late lead for AEK however, the 82nd minute substitute hammering home his team’s third goal just three minutes after coming on.
The 26 year-old was the hero in Thessaloniki last round, when he similarly came off the bench to score the equaliser in his side’s 1-1 draw with Aris.
His finish was not quite as spectacular on Sunday evening, Pantelis Kafes’ shot from inside the area coming back off the woodwork of Daskalakis’ goal before being volleyed into an empty net by the former Vitoria Setubal man.
Had referee Evangelos Katsidonis – who made headlines when he sent off a player for tripping a pitch invader earlier in the season – been slightly better positioned in the first minute of injury-time, he might have spotted a handball in the penalty area by AEK full-back Vasilis Plitasikas, the protests of Budimir unheeded.
The Athenians held on though, Ergotelis having contributed to an entertaining evening in the Greek capital, the fact that they came so close to another upset reflecting what has been a highly successful season thus far for the Cretans.
AEK Athens 3 (Djebbour 6’, Blanco 39’, Edinho 85')
Ergotelis 2 (Fragoulakis 35’, Budimir 76')
Line-ups:
AEK Athens: Saja, Basinas, Alves, Kyrgiakos, Juanfran (82’ Edinho), Kafes, Nsaliwa, Manduca (39’ Lagos), Scocco, Blanco (72’ Pliatsikas), Djebbour
Ergotelis: Daskalakis, Kordonouris, Ogunsoto, Junior, Kenedy (67’ Geladaris), Koutsianikoulis, Fernandes, Budimir, Plassnegger, Gialousis (87’ Vakouftsis), Fragoulakis (64’ Rogerio)
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
It is the second week in a row the Portuguese striker has rescued his side, following his equalizer after he came off the bench during their 1-1 draw with Aris last round.
However, it was anything but a deserved victory for Dusan Bajevic's men at the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium, Nikos Karageorgiou's Cretan side twice coming from behind to draw level before conceding a heartbreaking 85th minute goal.
First Half
Ergotelis side should have had the lead after just three minutes of play in Athens, Patrick Ogunsoto almost capitalizing on a defensive error by Angelos Basinas.
In an unfamiliar role at right-back, the much maligned Greece international attempted to head the ball back to goalkeeper Sebastian Saja but only succeeded in hitting the back of defender Juanfran, Ergotelis’ Nigerian striker pouncing on the ball but hitting it straight at the AEK shot-stopper from close range.
The Cretans were punished barely two minutes later when Rafik Djebbour received an Ignacio Scocco pass on the left of the penalty area before cutting onto his right foot and opening the scoring by beating Iosif Daskalakis his near post.
With AEK’s defence looking conspicuously fragile, Vasilis Koutsianikoulis found space on the right side of the penalty area after just 25 minutes, from where he cut inside Greece international Sotiris Kyrgiakos before curling an effort well wide of the top right corner of Saja’s goal.
It was a sign of Ergotelis’ existence as a legitimate attacking threat in the game, the absence of first-choice centre-back Daniel Majstorovic noticeable.
Dusan Bajevic’s men were nonetheless delivering an improved performance in Athens, Tamandani Nsaliwa almost doubling their lead just before the half-hour mark, heading a Manduca header just past the left post.
Again though, it was the visitors looking the more threatening in attacking positions, the mobile Ogunsoto holding the ball up for Junior on the edge of the penalty area, the Brazilian’s strike forcing a good save from Saja.
They scored a deserved equaliser through Michail Fragoulakis on 38 minutes however, the elusive Koutsianikoulis dribbling in-field and slipping the ball into the path of his teammate, who then beat Saja with a superb low strike from outside the area.
In what was becoming an increasingly open encounter, an attempted cross by Ismael Blanco almost restored AEK’s lead when it caught out Daskalakis and bounced away off the far post.
The Argentine striker did manage to score moments later though, courtesy of some brilliant innovation by strike partner Rafik Djebbour.
The Algerian took the ball in his stride, entering the penalty box and managing to force the ball around Daskalakis.
With his body facing away from goal and a defender between him, the former Panionios man back-heeled the ball to the unmarked Blanco, who finished into an empty net to make it 2-1 to the hosts.
Second Half
It was the lively Ignacio Scocco who had AEK’s first attempt of the second half, sending his low shot from outside the area just wide of Daskalakis’ left upright as the home side tried to carry over whatever attacking momentum was left from a relatively open first half of football.
They managed to construct a decent opening for Pantelis Kafes on 53 minutes, whose low shot from inside the area was shaved sharply by Daskalakis.
Ogunsoto then came within inches of beating the Ergotelis keeper’s opposite number, getting ahead of centre-back Geraldo Alves at the near post and flicking Plassnegger’s right-winged cross just wide of the far-post, with Saja statuesque in the AEK goal.
After largely nullifying the attacking threat posed by the travelling Cretans, Mario Budimir’s audacious flick on half-way was almost the catalyst for an Ergotelis equalizer on 69 minutes.
The Croatian’s creative burst allowed the effervescent Koutsianikoulis to enter the penalty area unchallenged before lifting a bouncing ball over the approaching Saja, his effort headed away by Alves.
With Dusan Bajevic’s side gradually sitting deeper and disappearing as an attacking threat, Ergotelis again grabbed a deserved equalizer on 76 minutes.
Substitute Dimitrios Geladaris found space to cross from the left flank, his delivery finding a completely unmarked Mario Budimir inside the box from where the impressive midfielder sent a powerful header past Saja from close-range.
AEK’s players might have been visibly stunned by the goal but it was a just reward for an Ergotelis side who on their last visit to the OAKA Spiros Louis Stadium had shown a similar attacking endeavour that earned them a surprise 3-2 win against Panathinaikos.
It was the introduction of Portuguese striker Edinho that brought about a dramatic late lead for AEK however, the 82nd minute substitute hammering home his team’s third goal just three minutes after coming on.
The 26 year-old was the hero in Thessaloniki last round, when he similarly came off the bench to score the equaliser in his side’s 1-1 draw with Aris.
His finish was not quite as spectacular on Sunday evening, Pantelis Kafes’ shot from inside the area coming back off the woodwork of Daskalakis’ goal before being volleyed into an empty net by the former Vitoria Setubal man.
Had referee Evangelos Katsidonis – who made headlines when he sent off a player for tripping a pitch invader earlier in the season – been slightly better positioned in the first minute of injury-time, he might have spotted a handball in the penalty area by AEK full-back Vasilis Plitasikas, the protests of Budimir unheeded.
The Athenians held on though, Ergotelis having contributed to an entertaining evening in the Greek capital, the fact that they came so close to another upset reflecting what has been a highly successful season thus far for the Cretans.
AEK Athens 3 (Djebbour 6’, Blanco 39’, Edinho 85')
Ergotelis 2 (Fragoulakis 35’, Budimir 76')
Line-ups:
AEK Athens: Saja, Basinas, Alves, Kyrgiakos, Juanfran (82’ Edinho), Kafes, Nsaliwa, Manduca (39’ Lagos), Scocco, Blanco (72’ Pliatsikas), Djebbour
Ergotelis: Daskalakis, Kordonouris, Ogunsoto, Junior, Kenedy (67’ Geladaris), Koutsianikoulis, Fernandes, Budimir, Plassnegger, Gialousis (87’ Vakouftsis), Fragoulakis (64’ Rogerio)
Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com
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