Mardin Spor, led by Ivaylo Petev, won 2:1 away at Istanbulspor in the 13th round of the Turkish League 1. The success lifted the team to fourth place with 24 points and left it in the playoff zone for entry into the Super League.
The hosts started better and opened the scoring in the 7th minute. Elvin Mendy scored for Istanbulspor, who occupy the last place in the standings.
Mardin equalized shortly before the break. In the 42nd minute, Malik Wilkes sent the ball into the home team's goal.
After the break, the guests made a complete turnaround, with Olarenwaju Kayode scoring for 2:1 in the 59th minute.
Zdravko Dimitrov started as a starter for Mardin and remained on the field until the 86th minute.
In the 75th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to the guests after Kayode fell in the penalty area. Dimitrov stood behind the ball, but the Istanbulspor goalkeeper saved the shot. In the added time, the ball hit the post and the score remained 2:1.
In the final minutes, Mardin continued to create chances, but failed to reach a third goal.
After the victory, Petev's team is fourth with 24 points. Bursaspor is the leader with a seven-point lead, while second-placed Kayserispor is three points ahead of Mardin. The team's position entitles them to participate in the Turkish Super League promotion playoffs.
Sources: bta.bg, star.com.tr