Crowd violence spoils Olympiakos win over PAOK

ATHENS, Feb 27 (Reuters) Crowd trouble marred Olympiakos Piraeus's 2-1 win over PAOK Salonica in Thessaloniki today.

A section of seating was set on fire by PAOK fans shortly after Michalis Konstantinou scored the winner for Olympiakos in the 77th minute.

Missiles were thrown at the firemen attempting to put out the blaze with missiles from the stands. The referee halted the game for several minutes while PAOK captain Thodoros Zagorakis pleaded on the touchline with fans, television coverage of the match showed.

When the fire was put out, the referee resumed the game briefly before blowing the whistle for time.

PAOK, playing their first game under coach Ilie Dumitrescu, had taken the lead in the fifth minute through Egyptian Mahmoud Fadlalla Shikabala but Olympiakos levelled when Yiannis Okkas scored from close range.

The win, their 19th from 21 games, gave Olympiakos 57 points and kept them nine points clear of AEK Athens, who beat Ionikos 2-1.

AEK needed a last-minute winner from Kostas Katsouranis to claim the points. They are second with 48 points, three clear of Panathinaikos who beat bottom club Akratitos 2-0.

Dimitris Papadopoulos put them ahead in the first minute and Fanis Gekas settled it with a 61st-minute penalty.

Panathinaikos host AEK host at the Olympic Stadium next weekend.

Reuters SK VP0302