Terim satisfied as under-strength Turks beat Slovakia

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

BIELEFELD, Germany (AFP) — 2002 World Cup semi-finalists Turkey beat Slovakia 1-0 to give themselves a timely boost ahead of the Euro 2008 finals which begin on June 7.

A goal by defender Hakan Balta in the second-half was enough to see the Turks to victory but their performance satisfied veteran coach Fatih Terim, who said he had not had six first choice players available to him including star forward Nihat Kahveci.

Terim started with an experimental starting XI throwing in fresher faces such as Mevlut Erdinc, who plays for French side Sochaux, and it clearly showed in the first-half display in which they were not very well organised.

Defensively they had their nervous moments and had to thank one of their heros from 2002 in goalkeeper Rustu Recber from...