‘Dark night’ for league football
Yeni Boğaziçi v Doğan Türk Birliği Binatlı v Küçük Kaymaklı Gençlik Gücü v Ozanköy Yalova v Merit Alsancak Yeşilova
Mağusa Türk Gücü v Gençler Birliği Türk Ocağı v Baf Ülkü Yurdu Cihangir v Lefke
Yenicami v GAÜ-Çetinkaya LEAGUE leaders Yenicami continued their winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Lefke which turned ugly when home fans stormed the changing room of the visiting Lefkoşa side and smashed its windows.
Reported as a “dark night” for football, the 19th week of the K-Pet Super League saw dramatic scenes on and off the pitch in Lefke, with violence being blamed on local fans who also attacked members of the press as they tried to take photos.
The first half of the game ended with the home side 1-0 up following a goal by Kasım Tağman in the fourth minute of injury time.
A significant change came about in the second half, however, as Yenicami gaining more possession and began piling on the pressure.
Midfielder Ünal Kaya brought the visitors level from a 58th-minute corner and John Ebuka pounded the winner into the net just seven minutes from time after a long shot by John Okoli rebounded off the post.
After tensions during the game which degenerated into scuffles between opposing fans, home supporters erupted after the final whistle and police were called in to protect the visiting players inside the changing room as it was attacked. No serious injuries were reported.
There was more knife-edge action on the pitch as second-placed GAÜÇetinkaya beat a visiting Yalova side 2-1, keeping them level with Yenicami on 40 points as the two leaders head into a top-of-the table “six-pointer” on Monday.
Barine Eko scored both goals for Çetinkaya, the first in the eighth minute and the second from a penalty on 26 minutes. The Yalova goal by Ali Azouz came in the second minute of extra time.
Rampant Doğan Türk Birliği thrashed a visiting Ozanköy side 6-1 at their 20 Temmuz stadium in Girne last Saturday to maintain their third place on 37 points, while Binatlı stumbled but held on to fourth spot on 34 points, drawing 2-2 at Merit Alsancak Yeşilova.
Küçük Kaymaklı lie in fifth on 31 points after a 3-1 win over Yeni Boğaziçi, with commentators praising the Lefkoşa team’s “total concentration” and goal-line saves by Turgut Kaan and Berkem Nurdal.
In other action, there was shock for both fans and players when İskelebased Gençler Birliği were trounced 3-0 at home by Türk Ocağı including an own goal.