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Spot-on Turkey pip Poland to finals place

Turkey defeated Poland in a final-day penalty shoot-out to secure a place at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals after coming through the elite round undefeated.

Spot-on Turkey pip Poland to finals place
Spot-on Turkey pip Poland to finals place ©Stathis Chalkidis

Turkey will have the chance to reclaim the title they won in 2005 after defeating Poland in a last-day elite round penalty shoot-out to qualify for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals.

Hakan Tecimer's side went into the last game of Group 2 having defeated both Norway and Greece, a feat matched by Poland to set up a winner-takes-all clash. Nothing separated the sides after 80 minutes so it came down to penalties to decide who would progress to the eight-team finals in Malta this May. Things looked to be going Poland's way after Emirhan Aydoğan missed Turkey's first, but Michał Borecki and Oktawian Skrzecz both failed, which allowed substitute Alican Özfesli to hit the winning spot kick.

The eventual group winners endured a shaky start as they twice fell behind to the Norwegians. However, captain Enes Ünal got them back on terms both times, the second after Eirik Haugan had been dismissed, and Doğuş Can Incedere secured a 3-2 win for Turkey. Poland matched them in their opener, a 2-1 win against Greece sealed by a pair of Dawid Kownacki strikes.

Robert Wojcik's men defeated Norway by the same scoreline on matchday two, Kownacki getting the winner two minutes after Håkon Lorentzen had cancelled out Adam Ryczkowski's opener. Meanwhile, Turkey saw off Greece 1-0 thanks to Enes Ünal's 60th-minute effort to set up the decider. The Greeks then finished strongly, defeating Norway 3-0 in their final game as Giorgos Manthatis struck either side of Vasilis Angelopoulos's penalty.