European Qualifiers: Turkey crash Czech party to reclaim third place

Czech Republic plans to celebrate last month's UEFA EURO 2016 qualification in front of their home fans were spoiled by a Turkey team with their own qualifying agenda as Fatih Terim's men won 2-0 in Prague on Saturday night, according to uefa.com

Second-half goals from Selçuk ?nan, with a penalty, and Hakan Çalhano?lu sufficed for Turkey to regain third place – which the Netherlands had briefly occupied after their earlier victory in Kazakhstan – and move within a point of clinching the play-off berth behind the already qualified Icelanders and Czechs in Group A. Turkey just need a point now from Tuesday's final qualifier at home to Iceland.

Pavel Vrba's hosts, whose own qualification was secured in Latvia, resisted a lively Turkish opening and both sides soon settled to play one-touch passing football through midfield. Yet despite long-range efforts from Vladimír Darida and Arda Turan, the best chance of the first half arrived as late as the 42nd minute. Josef Šural got on the end of a Pavel Kade?ábek cross but failed to time his header which sailed high and wide.

The eventual breakthrough came 17 minutes into the second period. Filip Novák, a first-time starter for the Czechs, brought down Serdar Aziz and Selçuk beat Czech custodian Tomáš Vaclík from the spot with a low strike into the bottom corner.

Selçuk might have added a second after breaking into the penalty box, the midfielder seeing his drilled attempt hit a post. No matter, as the clinching goal finally arrived in the 79th minute when Hakan's cross-shot after a pass from Arda flew into the net.

/By AzerTac/