Magoula keeper heads Levadiakos out of Cup
Five Super League scalps on Wednesday went after the completion of the first eight ties for the round of 32 of the Greek Cup, three of which to second-division teams, as Levadiakos, Panthrakikos and PAS Giannina succumbed to their Football League opposition.
Panthrakikos matched its 2-1 loss at Volos to Niki with a 2-1 win of its own at Komotini, but Niki was the winner of the penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes of play, scoring four penalties against the host’s one.
Aiginiakos, a Pieria team that obtained its professional status after merging with Akadimia Platamona two years ago, reached the round of 16 of the Cup defeating PAS Giannina 1-0 and having secured a goalless draw at Ioannina.
But the most dramatic of encounters was that between Levadiakos and Asteras Magoulas, a side that only climbed to the second division in spring for the first time in its history. Asteras had beaten Levadiakos 2-1 in the first leg but found itself trailing 2-0 up to the 83rd minute. It managed to score then but conceded a third three minutes on.
With Levadiakos set to advance to the next round on a 4-3 aggregate score, Asteras earned a corner deep into injury time. Its goalkeeper Alexandros Kasmeridis joined his teammates in the Levadiakos box, rose higher and headed the ball in to win the tie for the western Attica team (final score 3-2, but 4-4 on aggregate) and become the unlikeliest of scorers against his former club, too.
Favorites Olympiakos, Panathinaikos and PAOK eased to the next round, but in differing fashion. Olympiakos fielded a below-strength team at Amfissa and beat local Fokikos 5-3, Panathinaikos scored a second win over fellow Super League team Ergotelis, this time 1-0 in Crete, while PAOK won 1-0 at Anagennisi Karditsas, after also winning 3-0 at home.
In the day’s other games Apollon eliminated Platanias Hanion winning 2-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate, while Panionios drew 0-0 at Apollon Kalamarias but advanced on the strength of its 3-1 win at Nea Smyrni.
