While the Dutch and Belgians held their breath over fears of English hooligan violence, it was Turkey fans who yesterday became the first to despoil the European Championships during an ugly second-half eruption in which missiles - including a chair - were hurled on to Arnhem's Gelredome.

Around 8,000 supporters erupted in fury after Motherwell referee Hugh Dallas controversially awarded the penalty that was to win Italy the game, the official insisting that defender Ogun Temizkenoglu had elbowed Filippo Inzaghi as the striker darted into the box.

Before Inzaghi could despatch his 68th-minute winner, the supporters who are fast gaining a Europe-wide reputation for being every bit as ferocious as English, German or Dutch past masters at the nefarious art of violence and disruption showered the penalty box, chair apart, with drink cartons and horns.

As goalkeeper Rustu tried to compose himself for the kick, Italian midfielder Antonio Conte and Tayfur exchanged face slaps over the ball, encouraging a further barrage.

Dallas, who appeared to have been conned into not believing that Inzaghi had, in fact, made a meal of the original incident, needed almost

two minutes to secure order and the Turkish FA faces a UEFA inquest.

Later a spokesman for the tournament organisers would only say: 'We will not take any action until after we have seen our delegate's report.'

Yet the hooligan atrocity that saw two Leeds supporters die in Istanbul before their club's UEFA Cup meeting with Galatasaray and the rampaging warfare between that club's supporters and Arsenal thugs before the Copenhagen final suggest that UEFA now have a burgeoning problem with Turkey supporters.

But while the manner of Italy's victory may have been open to dispute, there could be no doubt that Dino Zoff's players deserved to join Belgium at the top of Group B.

Twice the Turks swept goal-bound shots off their line and twice the bar was rattled, first from a header by Francesco Totti then from Alessandro Del Piero, whose first touch of the ball as a substitute was a brilliant, 30-yard free-kick.

The Italians, so despondent on their Euro 2000 arrival following a warm-up defeat by Norway and an unimpressive qualification, were watched by an Azzurri support who mirrored their team's worries, being outnumbered three to one by the Turks.

Yet much of the paranoia of Zoff, his team and their fans was lifted by the side's attacking play.

Inzaghi and Totti could each have scored at least twice as the Turks - awakening as a serious force in European football - worked desperately to contain their rivals' quick, attacking thrusts, many of which were inspired by Udinese's Stefano Fiore, his country's new midfield orchestrator.

Zoff, however, will still be worried that, at the back, Italy often looked fragile and Turkey, hardly Europe's best attacking force, had several opportunities to embarrass the country that has not won a European Championship since 1968.

Okan's equaliser was a perfect case in point.

The smallest man on the field was allowed a free header inside the six-yard box to meet Sergen's free-kick.

Sergen himself threw away a marvellous opportunity in only the 14th minute, firing wide from what at the time was an Italian-free zone.

Conte showed how it should be done, opening the scoring with an enterprising overhead kick in the 53rd minute after Rustu had palmed away an Inzaghi header.

By the end of an entertaining game - with Turkey sending on Rangers midfielder Kerimoglu Tugay and committing most of their men to attack in a desperate search for an equaliser - the Italians had the opportunity to shoot fish in a barrel.

But as has so often been the case in the past two years, they still kept missing the target.

Italy can take heart. But Zoff's congratulatory antics at the final whistle mirrored the relief of all of his players and they will have to play better than this.

Turkey (3-4-1-2): Rustu; Alpay, Fatih, Temizkanoglu; Umit (Tugay, 76min), Korkut, Havutcu, Ercan; Buruk (Penbe, 89); Yalcin (Erdem, 81), Hakan Sukur.

Italy (3-5-2): Toldo; Cannavaro, Nesta, Maldini; Zambrotta, Conte, Fiore (Del Piero, 74), Albertini, Pessotto (Iuliano, 62); Inzaghi, Totti (Di Livio 83).

Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).

Man of the Match: Stefano Fiore.