Sivasspor's closest rivals on the Super Lig table, Besiktas, won 4-1 at Ankaraspor to move into pole position on the table with a two point lead with three matches to go.

Petkovic's team will rue an awful first-half which saw them concede two goals in the first 20 minutes of the contest as they lost at home for the first time in the Super Lig this season against a side who were third from bottom before Saturday's game.

And the Socceroos shot-stopper will feel at blame for the opener when he was beaten from a tight angle by Gökhan Kaba's eighth minute effort.

After Gökhan Kaba had got in behind Sivasspor's defence, Abdurrahman Dereli forced the Istanbul BB striker wide, only to see him try an ambitious shot which seemed to go through a despairing Petkovic to give the visitors an early lead.

But Sivasspor didn't react to what was coming as Istanbul BB fired several warning shots with Zeki Korkmaz having first, a close-range header deflected for a corner, before a long-range effort which fizzed wide.

Indeed on 17 minutes the visitors doubled their advantage when Serhat Gulpinar's neat pass played in Gökhan Akan, who's run wasn't picked up by Sivasspor defender Bilica, and the Istanbul BB hitman fired under Petkovic who didn't have much chance this time.

The parochial Sivasspor crowd were stunned at 4 Eylül Stadium and it only seemed to be getting worse as Istanbul BB continued having the best chances in the first-half.

Sivasspor would fight back before the break with a long-range Bilica free-kick cannoning into the crossbar before Hervé Tum's follow-up effort also went into the woodwork.

Into the second-half both sides had early half-chances before Istanbul BB had by far their best opportunity to make it three when Namibian midfielder Razundara Tjikuzu went on a probing run before playing in Ibrahim Akin who beat Petkovic but not the post.

As the half wore on Sivasspor got desperate with Musa Aydin claiming an ambitious penalty for a Marcus Vinicius handball, while Pini Balili started a melee out of frustration after a late challenge on the Istanbul BB keeper.

The chances would come for Sivasspor though with Musa Aydin somehow missing a sitter after Tum's header had rebounded off the post and into his path with the goal at his mercy.

But on 75 minutes Sivasspor would make the breakthrough when substitute Sezer Badur's lofted throughball found Tum who fired past Istanbul BB's replacement keeper Kenan Hasagic.

Sivasspor would have late chances to rescue something from the game with captain Mehmet Yildiz twice going close along with Tum who saw a close-range effort wonderfully saved by Istanbul BB's substitute stopper.

Disappointingly for Petkovic's Sivasspor 2-1 was how it ended and their frustration was obvious after the whistle as more scuffles erupted between the two sides.

Sivasspor now sit second in the Super Lig on 60 points behind Besiktas on 62, while Trabzonspor are third on 59 following by Galatasaray (55) and Fenerbahce (54).

Filip Holosko, Ibrahim Toraman, Deivson Bobo and Rodrigo Tello netted for Besiktas, who took advantage of former leaders Sivasspor's 2-1 home defeat by Istanbul Buyuksehir BSK.

Gokhan Kaba scored twice for the visitors in the first 17 minutes and all Sivasspor could manage in reply was a solitary strike from Herve Tum.

Trabzonspor closed to within a point of Sivasspor with a 3-1 victory over lowly Kocaelispor - Umut Bulut, Gokhan Unal and Alanzinho netting for the visitors.

Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Bursaspor all kept up their bid for European places with victories today.

Milan Baros scored from the penalty spot in Galatasaray's 1-0 win over Ankaragucu while Daniel Guiza netted the only goal as Fenerbahce beat Denizlispor.

Sixth-placed Bursaspor were more convincing winners, Sercan Yildirim, Bekir Has and Gokhan Gulec all scoring in the second half as they beat Konyaspor 3-0.

Bottom side Hacettepe SK lost again, 3-1 at Genclerbirligi, while Eskisehirspor beat Antalyaspor 2-0.