Ergotelis puts a premature end to Panathinaikos’ title hopes

By: Peter Katsiris | January 24th, 2009

In cooperation with www.greeksoccer.com; By Georgios Kioussis.

Ergotelis made it a league double over Panathinaikos on Saturday evening, a 1-0 win at the Pankritiko Stadium seeing the Cretan outfit dispose of Henk Ten Cate’s men for the second time this season. The Athenians’ prospects were dim after Ante Rukavina was sent off early in the second half, and Diego Romano’s goal on 55 minutes was enough to seal their fate.

The teams entered Saturday’s encounter at opposite ends of the form table, Panathinaikos having won seven of nine points since the new year, with Ergotelis failing to register even a goal.

In fact, Panathinaikos had not lost a league game since the 3-2 defeat to Ergotelis at the end of October. And, with the Greens seeking atonement, their lackluster performance was inexplicable.

Only did Panathinaikos threaten on six minutes, Sotiris Ninis slipping through Cleyton, whose first-time effort flew well over the woodwork.

Ergotelis was no better in the early going, forwards Mario Budimir and Vasilis Koutsianikoulis – who starred in the match in Athens – rarely getting involved in the play.

The diminutive Koutsianikoulis did pop up on 17 minutes, though, flicking a corner towards Panagiotis Kordonouris, who leapt well but failed to direct his header on target.

Ergotelis continued pressing and on 29 minutes Junior Silva found space to shoot but dragged his ambitious shot from distance wide of the target, capping off an uneventful first half.

Things would change drastically after the restart, Rukavina’s dismissal playing no small role. On 52 minutes the Croat was adjudged to have hit Mario Hieblinger during a dead-ball situation, and referee Nathaniel Charalambidis did not hesitate to show the red card.

The incident seemed to spark the hosts, who seized the initiative just three minutes later. Koutsianikoulis was the architect, the forward finally breaking free and jinking past a couple of challenges before laying the ball off to Romano, who evaded Simao and sent his curling effort past Galinovic.

Conceding seemed to rattle the visitors, who started to look increasingly less comfortable on the ball. On 59 minutes Loukas Vyntra was caught in possession and Ergotelis broke in numbers, Beto ultimately hitting weakly at Galinovic despite having better options.

Within two minutes Gabriel nearly equalized at the other end, the substitute’s rasping drive flashing just wide of Zsolt Posza’s upright.

Yet Gabriel’s effort did little to calm Panathinaikos’ back four, and on 62 minutes it was Bryce Moon who almost condemned his side to further humiliation. The fullback’s errant back-pass was intercepted by Beto, who drove into the Panathinaikos area but failed to get a shot away after a retreating Vyntra ushered him from goal.

Moon nearly made amends for his poor defensive work on 73 minutes, crossing enticingly for Gilberto, whose tame header was comfortable for Posza.

Substitute Vangelis Mantzios was next to have an effort, volleying over the bar, before Giorgos Karagounis’ swerving free kick was punched away by Posza.

But gilt-edged chances were non-existent for the Athenians, who were fortunate to have not gone 2-0 down five minutes from time, Koutsianikoulis’ knuckling strike finding the wrong side of the post.

However the Greek Under-21 International had already done enough damage, setting up Romano’s winner, which earned Nikos Karageorgiou’s outfit an important three points.

Ergotelis FC 1-0 Panathinaikos FC

Romano 55′

Yellow Cards:

Ergotelis FC – Romano 23′, Beto 66′, Geladaris (90+’.

Panathinaikos FC – none.

Red Cards:

Ergotelis FC – none.

Panathinaikos FC – Rukavina 52′

Ergotelis FC (Nikos Karageorgiou) – Posza, Plassnegger, Hieblinger, Kordonouris, Geladaris, Junior, Orfanos, Beto, Romano (81′ Rogerio), Budimir (69′ Ogounsoto), Koutsianikoulis (90+’ Vakouftsis).

Panathinaikos FC (Henk Ten Cate) – Galinovic, Nilsson (63′ Spyropoulos), Vyntra, Gilberto, Moon, Simao, Melissis (68′ Mantzios), Ninis (46′ Gabriel), Karagounis, Cleyton, Rukavina.

Referee: Nathaniel Charalambidis

Venue: Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece.