League Play-Off

Chani Terovou
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Alexis Kaplanopoulos kicked off to start the match. 3 minutes into the match, ARIS's goal looked a bit too open when Fotis Tzorvas came free, but Giorgos Zafiriou reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Ntinos Prevezanos showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Alexis Kaplanopoulos, who was totally free with the ball in the 4th minute. The referee blew the whistle for a penalty in the 5th minute of the game. One of Pondismιnon:s players had nearly got his shirt torn off by an opponent while getting free in front of ARIS:s goal. Pondismιnon:s Ntinos Prevezanos showed great skill when he stopped Alexis Kaplanopoulos:s penalty. After some careless play in the Pondismιnon defense, Alexis Kaplanopoulos kicked a shot that curved into the net to the right of Ntinos Prevezanos. The Pondismιnon fans voiced their displeasure as they felt that Ntinos Prevezanos should have stopped the shot. The audience thought a goal was coming when Markos Kalamarakis got free with Ntinos Prevezanos in the 9th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. In the 11th minute Nestoras Koronas shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Giorgos Zafiriou saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. Kyriakos Savouras's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Ntinos Prevezanos read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 13th minute of play. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Sotiris Korkolis during the 14th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 15th minute, ARIS's Alexis Kaplanopoulos dribbled the ball into the box and hit a shot with the outside of his foot, sending the keeper the wrong way. 2-0. After 21 minutes, Fotis Tzorvas mouthed his way into the referee's book. The tension between the Pondismιnon and the ARIS players grew even worse after the yellow card. Markos Kalamarakis succeeded in the game's 22nd minute to shoot an unreachable shot under the crossbar and scored - 3-0. When the match clock showed 26 minutes, the score became 4-0 when Alexis Kaplanopoulos sped through Pondismιnon's defense and sent away a curving shot that went into the net to the right of Ntinos Prevezanos. The supporters of ARIS booed when Pondismιnon was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 31 match minutes in a wonderful position. Stathis Pentaras didn't get a good kick on the ball. Markos Kalamarakis might have been able to make a better finish in the 33rd minute when he tried to place a hard shot over Ntinos Prevezanos. Instead the ball went over the crossbar and out. Markos Kalamarakis ran back to his position shaking his head. Alexis Kaplanopoulos did some fancy footwork in front of goal and succeeded to deceive the defenders so he could slam the ball in 5-0 to the left of a surprised Ntinos Prevezanos 34 minutes into the match. 39 minutes into the match, Pondismιnon's goalkeeper Ntinos Prevezanos had to clear away a ball on his right side after a cunning shot by Markos Kalamarakis. Alexis Kaplanopoulos's late challenge caught a Pondismιnon's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Alexis Kaplanopoulos helped the player get up and apologised. A collision led to ARIS getting a freekick after 43 minutes play. Alexis Kaplanopoulos hit a great ball. If Markos Kalamarakis had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 45th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. No-one was surprised that the home team were leading 5-0 at half-time.

Both teams looked relatively alert before the second half when the referee blew his whistle to tell Sotiris Korkolis to make the kick off. After some fancy dribbling in the 51st minute, Alexis Kaplanopoulos managed to get in a good position for a shot. ARIS's supporters rose to their feet, but Alexis Kaplanopoulos was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Ntinos Prevezanos breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. An unexpectedly hard shot by Alexis Kaplanopoulos in the 53rd minute of play forced Pondismιnon's goalkeeper Ntinos Prevezanos to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Sotiris Korkolis recieved an excellent pass in front of the goal in the 55th minute. Unfortunately, he received the ball on his off foot and could only manage a weak shot that went over the goal. In the 56th match minute, Pondismιnon was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Fotis Tzorvas to maneuver through the defense. ARIS's Avraam Katergiannakis was substituted for Bonifacio Che. Fotis Tzorvas kicked well hit freekick during the 57th minute of the match. After 58 played minutes ARIS got a freekick which was hit by Sotos Matsas. In the 65th match minute, Pondismιnon was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Fotis Tzorvas to maneuver through the defense. Ntinos Prevezanos took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Alexis Kaplanopoulos, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Ntinos Prevezanos took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Alexis Kaplanopoulos, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side.