Super Eagles forward Peter Olayinka emerged as the hero for APOEL FC, scoring a dramatic 81st-minute winner to hand his side a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Omonia in the Nicosia derby of the Cypriot First Division on Sunday.
Although the high-profile clash had little impact on the league standings for table-toppers Omonia, it was a must-win encounter for APOEL as they sought bragging rights over their fierce city rivals.
Both sides started brightly and created promising moments, but neither could find the breakthrough before the halftime whistle.
Olayinka, who joined APOEL during the winter transfer window following the expiration of his contract with Red Star Belgrade, delivered the decisive moment late in the game.
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In the 81st minute, Olayinka capitalised on a defensive lapse, smashing the ball into the back of the net after Omonia’s defenders failed to properly clear their lines to hand his side their 11th win of the season.
The goal marked his first for the club since arriving as a free agent earlier this month and came in just his second appearance for the Cypriot giants.
With the victory, APOEL leapfrogged Aris Limassol into fifth place on the table with 39 points from 23 matches. Omonia remain top with 54 points from the same number of games, holding a six-point advantage over second-placed Apollon.
APOEL will now look to build on the derby triumph when they face seventh-placed AEL Limassol in their next league outing.
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