League Play-Off

Boundary Park
Spectators: 36 (Terracing: 28, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) The sun was shining, the grass was green and the audience cheered when Dimos Zagorakis got the match started through his kick off. After a rather tough play, Gourniá's Thrasivoulos Spanatos got a free kick in the 2nd minute. OLDHAM ATHLETIC's Dimos Zagorakis was standing unmarked in front of the goal when he, in the 12th play minute, got the ball and easily drilled it into the goal. In the 16th match minute, OLDHAM ATHLETIC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Telis Ioannou to maneuver through the defense. In the 20th match minute, OLDHAM ATHLETIC was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Telis Ioannou to maneuver through the defense. Aimilios Kostenoglou could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 24th minute of the match, but Akakios Lalas made a huge save. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Dimos Zagorakis in the 25th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Akakios Lalas saved Gourniá from getting behind. 28 minutes into the match, Dimos Zagorakis notched a goal, 2-0, to the right of Gourniá's Akakios Lalas. Akakios Lalas was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Dimos Zagorakis in the 31st managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Akakios Lalas saved Gourniá from getting behind. After a defensive mix-up in Gourniá's zone, Dimos Zagorakis stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Akakios Lalas came out of the goal and Dimos Zagorakis tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. Alekos Lithopoulos showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Dimitris Antonatos in the 34th minute of the match. Thanks to some nice foot action and superb ball handling Dimos Zagorakis in the 37th minute a chance for a shot on goal. With an extended leg and a bit of luck Akakios Lalas prevented the ball from getting in the gole. After some fancy dribbling in the 38th minute, Aimilios Kostenoglou managed to get in a good position for a shot. OLDHAM ATHLETIC's supporters rose to their feet, but Aimilios Kostenoglou was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Akakios Lalas breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. An unexpectedly hard shot by Dimos Zagorakis in the 40th minute of play forced Gourniá's goalkeeper Akakios Lalas to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. 42 minutes into the match, Giorgos Kafkalas dribbled the ball past the defender and swiftly kicked the ball to the left of Akakios Lalas, 3-0. When the referee blew for the end of the half the home team players were clearly happier, as they went in to the break leading 3-0.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Lakis Kollias stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. The supporters of OLDHAM ATHLETIC booed when Gourniá was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 52 match minutes in a wonderful position. Lakis Kollias didn't get a good kick on the ball. Dimos Zagorakis scored 4-0 in the 53rd match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Akakios Lalas, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. After a rather tough play, Gourniá's Grigoris Karotsis got a free kick in the 56th minute. When Dimos Zagorakis came up free with the goalie in the 59th minute, the OLDHAM ATHLETIC fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Dimos Zagorakis couldn't finish the play. Charilaos Bogris's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Akakios Lalas read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 61st minute of play. In the 62nd minute, Dimos Zagorakis made a precise shot to the right of Akakios Lalas. Gourniá's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 5-0. In the 70th minute Dimos Zagorakis shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Akakios Lalas saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. The audience was convinced that Dimos Zagorakis's extremely hard shot when he got free in front of the goal was going in, but Akakios Lalas was relentless in the 74th minute of the game. In the 75th minute, Aimilios Kostenoglou got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. OLDHAM ATHLETIC's Ignatios Vakrinos was substituted for Charilaos Bogris. OLDHAM ATHLETIC's Dimos Zagorakis got a good chance for a goal in the 83rd minute, but he totally mistimed the shot and it went over the crossbar. 92 minutes into the game, Dimos Zagorakis cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 7-0. Akakios Lalas was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. 96 minutes into the match, Gourniá's goal looked a bit too open when Dimos Zagorakis came free, but Akakios Lalas reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line.