SHOCK EXIT
Northernland Cyprus Cup holders out in first round
THE first round of the Northernland Cyprus Cup started with a shock defeat for last year’s winners.
Aksa Super League outfit Türk Ocağı Limasol (TOL) lost 5-3 after extra time at home to First League side Yalova in a pulsating encounter at the Girne 20 Temmuz Mete Adanır Stadium on Sunday.
TOL were leading 2-0 until the 66th minute thanks to goals from Mahmut Funsa and Hikmet Çelikel.
Asrın Alican Sönmez then pulled a goal back for Yalova from the penalty spot. Two minutes later TOL had a player sent off but looked to have held on for a win before Sönmez converted a second penatly in the 90th minute to send the game to extra time.
Despite being a man down, TOL regained the lead with a header by Çelikel in the first period of extra time. Yalova did not give up, and levelled the scores once again with a goal by Hamdi İşkey in the 106th minute before Sönmez scored his hat-trick moments later for Yalova to take a 4-3 lead.
Sönmez then scored his fourth and his side’s fifth in the 118th minute to seal the victory and heap more woe on TOL, who are currently bottom of the Super League standings.
Another Super League team that failed to make it past the first hurdle was Çetinkaya, who went down 2-0 away to Miracle Değirmenlik last Saturday. Both goals were scored in the first six minutes of the match.
Three other Super League teams suffered scares as they needed extra time to beat their second-tier opponents.
Küçük Kaymaklı beat Ünimar Maraş 3-2 at the Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadium after the scores were level at 2-2 at the end of normal time.
Mesarya won 3-2 away to Düzkaya after extra time, despite having a player red-carded just 21 minutes into the fixture.
Lefke struck twice in extra time in their cup clash away to Geçitkale to win 4-2 on Sunday.
Meanwhile other Super League teams cruised through their first round knockout ties. Yeniboğaziçi were the biggest winners, thrashing Dem’s Cons. Çanakkale 5-0, while there were 4-0 wins for Super League leaders Cihangir against Baf Ülkü Yurdu and for Miracle Karşıyaka against Esentepe.
Last year’s Super League champions Mağusa Türk Gücü were 4-1 winners against Yılmazköy.
A total of 32 teams took part in the first round of the Northernland Cyprus Cup last weekend, with the 16 Super League teams pitted against the 16 clubs of the First League.
The second round is expected to take place on Wednesday, February 14.