Turkish fightback lays out Czechs

Turkey 3 Czech Republic 2: A NIGHT OF drama and excitement here in Geneva where the prospect of a historic penalty shoot-out was averted by a Nihat Kahveci-inspired Turkish comeback that sparked wild celebrations among the team's supporters.

The Czechs had led 2-0 and should have had the opportunity to put the outcome beyond doubt from the penalty spot but instead the Turks fought back from the brink of elimination to earn a meeting with Croatia in Friday's second quarter-final in Vienna.

Fatih Terim's men had to survive the last minute or so of injury time with Tuncay Sanli in goal after Volkan Demirel was sent off for a reckless push on Jan Koller, but the Czechs had nothing left to give after crumbling as they sought to defend what should have been a match-winning lead.

Their troubles began 15 minutes from time when Hamit Alintop's low cross from the right was deflected by a defender into the path of Arda Turan who squeezed his first-time shot between Petr Cech and the foot of the post.

And when subsequent pressure failed to yield an equaliser in what had become a desperately frantic game, it was the Chelsea goalkeeper who handed the Turks a late reprieve by dropping a straightforward cross, a mistake that allowed team captain Kahveci to tap home from six yards.

Almost straight from the kick-off the Turks were back on the offensive and Kahveci this time bagged the winner with a thundering strike from 25 yards that soared past Cech and flew in off the underside of he crossbar.

It was a blistering finish to a game that had produced plenty of incident but not the sort of football likely to intimidate the Croatians hugely as they prepare for their final group match this evening.

Terim's joy at seeing his men steal into the last eight will be tempered slightly, though, by the suspension of Demirel who stupidly retaliated while the ball was out of play after feeling that he had been fouled by the giant Czech striker.

With age clearly catching up on him, this is likely to have been Koller's last appearance for the Czechs but he can take some pride from the way he performed on a night when he scored his side's first goal and contributed a great deal to their attacking play.

Having consistently looked isolated a week ago in Basle where he forlornly tried to chase one poor ball after another, here he was repeatedly picked out with high balls that the 35-year-old used to bring team-mates around him into the attack.

Servet Cetin was handed the task of limiting the striker's influence but it didn't do too well. Koller's size comfortably gave him the edge over a defender who simply didn't seem capable of making his superior pace count for anything in the duel.

The Czechs, though, took some time to capitalise on the chances Koller helped create. Though Libor Sionko again looked lively out on the right and Marek Matejovsky, before being stretchered off six minutes before the interval, did well breaking forward from central midfield, their finishing was poor.

Sionko almost stole in to turn home a fine Jaroslav Plasil ball from the left but Demirel gathered bravely at the winger's feet. From his clearance upfield, however, Zdenek Grygera took off down the right flank and sent in a curling cross that Koller did well to head goalwards. This time Demirel could do more than turn the ball on to the underside of the bar and watch as it then spun behind him and in.

Back from the break with one change to the personnel and a slightly different shape, the Turks finally began to show a little of what they could do in the attacking department. For 15 minutes they dominated utterly only to fall further behind when Sionko's ball was turned home by Plasil.

There should then have been the opportunity to make it three when Jan Polak hit the post from close range and then received a kick in the head from Emre Asik as he attempted to head home the rebound.

The Swedish referee, though, waved play on and the Czechs were simply overwhelmed in the time that remained by a Turkish side determined to bow out with a fight.

Some of their attacking play was haphazard but Marek Jankulovki, Tomas Ujfalusi and David Rozehnal all looked dazed by the ferocity of the late Turkish assault.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Cech; Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski; Galasek; Sionko (Vlcek, 84 mins), Matejovsky (Jarolim, 39 mins), Polak, Plasil (Kadlec, 80 mins); Voller.

TURKEY: Demirel; Alintop, Gungor (Asik, 63 mins), Cetin, Balta; Sanli, Aurelio, Topal (Kazim, 57 mins), Turan; Senturk (Sarioglu, half-time), Kahveci.

Referee: P Frojdfeldt(Sweden).