SL2 23/24: Diagoras 2-1 Athens Kallithea

A dominant performance turned to a shock defeat on Saturday afternoon, as AKFC wasted a host of prime scoring chances and were punished from two set pieces at the other end, going down to Diagoras in Rhodes, 2-1, in Matchday 10 of the 2023/24 Super League 2 season.

AKFC should have taken the lead six minutes into the match when Demethryus broke into the box and played the ball across the face of goal, but Giannis Loukinas could not manage to poke the ball in.

Just a few minutes later, Diagoras struck against the run of play, when a deep free-kick was launched into the area, flicked on to the back post, and headed in by Nikola Ignjatović.

AKFC immediately responded with intense pressure, but could not get the ball over the line. Demethryus put a free header from point blank range over the bar. Orestis Tsintonis followed with a header that hit the bar, and Loukinas mistimed his effort on the rebound. Demethryus would have another open look inside the box with the ’keeper planted but his shot went centimeters wide of the post. Finally, Georgios Moustakopoulos drove a ball through the box that only needed the slightest touch to go in, but it was agonizingly just out of reach of Loukinas, before the half-time whistle was blown.

Coming out for the second half, AKFC had Diagoras completely pinned back in their own end and an equalizer felt inevitable, until disaster struck. After a counterattack, Diagoras earned a corner kick, which was headed in by veteran striker Michalis Manias in the 69th minute.

Over the last six matches, AKFC have conceded five goals in total, and all five have been from set pieces, which the team will have to address.

Giannis Loukinas would eventually pull one back, heading in his fifth goal of the season, but it was too little, too late. When Javier Matilla saw a free-kick swerve just over the bar in stoppage time, the comeback attempt was over, and AKFC were left to with a bitter loss, leaving them stuck at two points back from the top of the table.

Athens Kallithea (4-3-3): Kotsaris, Bouloulis, Romao, Mejías, Manthatis (67’ Pozatzidis), Moustakopoulos, Silva, Tsintonis (84’ Vertainen), Kynigopoulos (61’ Vasilogiannis), Loukinas, Demethryus (61’ Matilla)