Bruno Petković's 85th-minute penalty kick proved the decisive moment as Kocaelispor finally secured their first victory of the Turkish Süper Lig season, defeating Eyüpspor 1-0 at Yıldız Entegre Kocaeli Stadyumu on Saturday afternoon.

The result represents a vital breakthrough for Selçuk İnan's side, who had entered the match as one of only two teams without a league victory this campaign. Bottom of the table with just two points from seven matches, Kocaelispor desperately needed three points to begin climbing away from relegation danger.

For 84 minutes, the contest appeared destined for a goalless draw that would have satisfied neither team's ambitions. Eyüpspor dominated possession with 55% of the ball and registered 13 shots to Kocaelispor's nine, yet both sides struggled to find the clinical edge that has eluded them throughout the season. The visitors' goalkeeper made six crucial saves to keep his team in contention, while Eyüpspor managed seven shots on target but couldn't breach Aleksandar Jovanović's goal.

The match's defining sequence began late in the second half when referee Adnan Deniz Kayatepe awarded Kocaelispor a penalty kick. Croatian striker Petković stepped up to convert the spot-kick, sending the home crowd into raptures and giving his team their first lead of any match this season.

Eyüpspor's frustrations were evident throughout the encounter, with three players receiving yellow cards, including Prince Ampem in the 53rd minute and Nihad Mujakić ten minutes later. The visitors pushed desperately for an equalizer in the closing stages, with Kerem Demirbay and Serdar Gürler both testing the home goalkeeper, but Kocaelispor held firm.

The victory breaks Kocaelispor's six-match winless streak and provides crucial momentum for İnan's squad. Having scored just four goals in their opening seven matches while conceding 12, the team's defensive resilience on Saturday offers hope for improvement. Eyüpspor, meanwhile, extended their goal drought to four consecutive matches and remain winless in their last six away fixtures.

Both teams made multiple substitutions as they searched for breakthrough moments, with Eyüpspor coach Selçuk Şahin receiving two yellow cards in the final stages as tensions boiled over. The result lifts Kocaelispor off the bottom of the table and provides the foundation they desperately needed to build upon in the weeks ahead.