PTOLEMAIDA, Greece (Interstat) — Vitor Gomes scored twice, including a third-minute opener, and Anagennisi Derynia held off Ermis 2-1 on Friday at Dimotiko Stadio Aradippou. The visiting side struck early, added a second goal before halftime and protected the one-goal margin through a second-half response, a yellow card and a late red card that left Ermis with 10 players. Anagennisi Derynia scored two goals in total, while Ermis scored once.

Anagennisi Derynia opened the scoring in the 3rd minute when Gomes found the net. Gomes added his second goal in the 33rd minute, giving the visitors a two-goal cushion before the break. Ermis responded in the 52nd minute through Junior Djile, whose goal cut the deficit to one and gave the home side a route back into the match. Djile was on the field for the full 90 minutes and finished with one goal. Gomes was also on the field for the full 90 minutes and finished with two goals, the key attacking return for Anagennisi Derynia. Gomes was the top star for Anagennisi Derynia.

The match grew more physical after Ermis’s goal. Anagennisi Derynia’s Neofytidis G. was shown a yellow card in the 57th minute. Ermis’s Hadjiprodromou M. was sent off in the 85th minute, leaving the home side to finish with 10 players. The home side played the closing stages with a reduced lineup after the dismissal and could not produce a second goal. Ermis could not find an equalizer in the remaining time, and Anagennisi Derynia closed out the one-goal win. The result gave Anagennisi Derynia its second win in the competition this season and handed Ermis its second loss in the competition.

Anagennisi Derynia’s season record in this competition is now 2 wins, 2 losses. Ermis’s season record in this competition is now 2 wins, 2 losses. Anagennisi Derynia’s season record across all competitions is now 2 wins, 2 losses. Ermis’s season record across all competitions is now 2 wins, 3 losses.

Anagennisi Derynia entered the match after a 3-1 home loss to Achnas, a 3-2 win at Spartakos Kitiou and a 3-1 home loss to Digenis Akritas in its previous competition matches. Ermis had lost 2-0 at Apea Akrotiriou, beaten M.E.A.P. Nisou 2-0 at home, won 1-0 at Polemidion and lost 3-0 at home to Nea Salamis in its earlier competition matches. The latest result added another one-goal decision to Anagennisi Derynia’s recent run and left Ermis with a third loss across all competitions.

The first half followed a clear pattern after Gomes’s early breakthrough. Anagennisi Derynia had the lead inside three minutes and doubled it just past the half-hour mark. Ermis, playing at home, went into the interval needing a response. That response arrived seven minutes after the restart when Djile scored. The goal reduced the margin to 2-1 and set up a closing stretch in which Ermis sought a second goal.

The yellow card shown to Neofytidis in the 57th minute was the first disciplinary entry of the second half. The red card for Hadjiprodromou in the 85th minute then changed the closing conditions, forcing Ermis to finish short-handed. Anagennisi Derynia maintained its advantage over the final minutes and took the victory. The match ended with Anagennisi Derynia ahead by one goal after scoring twice in the opening 33 minutes and absorbing Ermis’s second-half push.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ermis 1, Anagennisi Derynia 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ermis with a 51.3 percent probability to win. Ermis had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 3 went under the over/under line of 2.5.