TURKEY 1 POLAND 2

Poland defeated Turkey in a low-scoring encounter to come seventh in the LEN European Nations Trophy at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

It was a battle of attrition with the teams cancelling each other out. One goal was scored in the opening 12 minutes, despite seven majors.

Turkey missed a whole host of chances, including failing with 11 extra-man attacks in the first three periods and missing a penalty throw. Turkey toiled away in vain, unable to breach the Poland defence until the 28th-minute of action, but it was too late and they could not find a leveller to take the match into extra time.

Wojciech Leszek broke the deadlock in the first period from the left wing with a bounce shot which skipped beyond Atila Sezer in the Turkey goal. Turkey had the chance to level when Tomasz Rozycki was excluded but their extra-man attack failed.

Rozycki conceded a penalty early in the second period, but Turkey captain Halil Beskardesuer failed from the five-metre line, shooting straight at Michal Diakonow. Rafal Wocik was excluded twice before Adam Perka and Leszek were sent out but on each occasion Turkey’s 6-on-5 faltered.

Poland and Turkey each failed with man up attempts when Leszek and Ali Can Gagatay received personal fouls, but Poland then claimed a second when Marek Debski lobbed Sezer with 4:49 to go in the third. Anil Sonmez was denied when one-on-one with Diakonow, before the Poland skipper stopped Beskardesuer in the dying moments of the third.

Emre Coskun finally converted a Turkey 6-on-5 following Perka’s second exclusion, ending a run of 11 extra-man attacks without success. Berk Gunkut hit the bar with an attempted lob as Turkey searched for an equaliser. Perka had a five-metre goal disallowed with 12 seconds remaining for hesitating and Debski was excluded, but Turkey could not find an equaliser.

Result: 1-2 (0-1; 0-0; 0-1; 1-0)

Turkey: 1 Atila Sezer, 2 Ali Can Gagatay, 3 Omer Yaman, 4 Anil Sonmez, 5 Ruso Yakimouig, 6 Hakan Hatipoglu, 7 Sezai Kiziltan, 8 Berk Gunkut, 9 Aytag Yegin, 10 Emre Coskun (1 goal), 11 Halil Beskardesuer (Capt), 12 Can Guven, 13 Tan Diptas

Poland: 1 Michal Diakonow (Capt), 2 Marcin Scierwicki, 3 Piotr Michalski, 4 Adam Perka, 5 Marek Debski (1 goal), 6 Pawel Ulchurski, 7 Tomasz Rozycki, 8 Michal Bar, 9 Radoslaw Haraczko, 10 Robert Sekula, 11 Piotr Wojcik, 12 Wojciech Leszek (1), 13 Rafal Wocik