Fenerbahçe keep up double bid

By Türker Tozar

Superleague leaders Fenerbahçe SK remain on course for the double after defeating Kayserispor 4-0 to reach the Turkish Cup semi-finals along with holders Trabzonspor, Denizlispor and Galatasaray SK.

Alex opener
Having crushed Kayserispor 7-0 a fortnight ago, Fenerbahçe showed no mercy to the same opponents tonight. Five minutes into the game Alex's header gave Fenerbahçe the lead and his Brazilian compatriot Marcio Nobre made it 2-0 five minutes later. By the 16-minute mark defender Servet Çetin had increased the advantage further, sending the ball into an empty net. Dutchman Pierre van Hooijdonk completed the scoring with a powerful shot in the 62nd minute for a side seeking their first cup victory in 22 years.

Holders through
Trabzonspor are aiming for a third consecutive triumph and their perfect record under new coach Senol Günes continued as they overcame Gaziantepspor 3-0. Defender Özgür Bayer put Trabzonspor ahead on 37 minutes and Gökdeniz Karadeniz struck twice in the second half, allowing his team to triumph despite Lee Eul-Yong's sending-off two minutes from time.

Denizlispor prevail
Denizlispor may be off form in the Superleague but tonight saw off visitors Konyaspor on penalties after their game ended 1-1. Konyaspor's Tayfun Türkmen was red-carded in the 20th minute for unsportsmanlike behaviour, and on the half-hour Ersen Martin put Denizilispor ahead. Altan Aksoy equalised before the break and the home team had Ibrahim Celik dismissed in extra time - but Denizlispor still went through following the shoot-out.

Galatasaray victory
On Tuesday, Galatasaray kept up their bid for a record 14th cup victory as Ayhan Akman's 40th-minute goal gave them a 1-0 win at Diyarbakirspor. The semi-finals will be played on 2 April with Trabzonspor up against Galatasaray and Denizlispor meeting Fenerbahçe.