GAÜ Çetinkaya climb to 2nd place in Super League
GAÜ Çetinkaya moved up to second place in football’s K-Pet Super League with a lastgasp 2-1 win over Baf Ülkü Yurdu on Sunday.
They took full advantage of slipups by leaders Yenicami and Doğan Türk Birliği, who fell to third, by coming from behind to overcome their opponents.
Playing at Lefkoşa’s Atatürk stadium, the home side went a goal down in the 65th minute when Felix Obada converted a penalty for Baf Ülkü Yurdu.
That prompted an “all-out attack” from GAÜ Çetinkaya, whose efforts paid off in the 74th minute when Serhan Önet pounced on a pass from İbrahim Çıdamlı to shoot into the net.
Çıdamlı was involved again, this time as the goalscorer, when he struck in spectacular fashion from a free kick in the 90th minute.
The win means GAÜ Çetinkaya are still in contention for the title on 48 points, four behind arch-rivals Yenicami with five games still to play. Yenicami dropped points for the third week in a row after they were held to a scoreless draw away to second-from-bottom Yeni Boğaziçi.
They remain top of the table, however, on 52 points with their superior goal difference over their closest rivals giving them an added advantage. Doğan Türk Birliği (DTB) saw their championship hopes suffer a serious blow, as they were thrashed 4-1 by 11th-placed Türk Ocağı Limaso1 in the Girne derby played last Friday at the 20 Temmuz Mete Adanır ground.
DTB had taken the lead after just four minutes but were torn apart by an impressive second-half display by the visitors. The result left DTB on 47 points. There were goals galore in the weekend’s other fixtures, with in-form Lefke’s 5-0 demolition of Gençlik Gücü the pick of the bunch and taking them on to 36 points in seventh place. Merit Alsancak Yeşilova chalked up their fourth win in a row with a “merciless” 4-1 victory at home to İskele’s Gençler Birliği in Çatalköy last Saturday, a result that kept them in fifth spot, on 42 points. Gençler Birliği, 13th in the 16-team league, face being sucked into the relegation battle following their fourth consecutive league defeat. Bottom club Ozanköy saw their recent good form come to an end as they lost 3-0 at home to Cihangir, leaving them on just 18 points. Mağusa Türk Gücü came from a goal down to win 4-2 away to Lefkoşa’s Küçük Kaymaklı while Binatlı kept their title hopes alive by comfortably despatching Yalova 3-0 at home in Monday night’s game. The Güzelyurt outfit are fourth on 46 points and face leaders Yenicami on Monday in a crucial encounter.