ANKARAGUCU ENCOUNTER AN AEGEAN SEA STORM !!

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

There can be no excuses for Ankaragucu’s 2^nd half capitulation to the ‘amateurs’ of Bodrumspor today in the Turkish Cup 5^th Round match 1^st Leg.    Nor should Ankaragucu point to the fact that some first team regulars were missing.

Kone had a shocker of a match and gifted two goals to Bodrum, but having said that, they thoroughly deserved their moment of glory.     On this performance, I would guess that Kone has played his last match for Ankaragucu !

Bodrumspor       4              ANKARAGUCU      2

Team – Korcan, Alihan, Erman Sen, Kaan, Mehmet Sak, Ender, Mahmut, Putsila, Cerci, El-Kabir and Kehinde

Substitutes – Mohktar and Kone

The match was played in the city of Mugla due to the Bodrum Stadium being waterlogged after last week’s heavy rain storm.

Bodrum started the match brightly and it was clear from the outset that they were not over-awed by their Super League opponents.     They were chasing every ball throughout the match and refused to give Ankaragucu any time on the ball.

The first real chance of the match fell to Kehinde from a Cerci pass but he blasted his shot over.    Kehinde huffed and puffed throughout the match but in all honesty he never gave the Bodrum defence too much trouble.

Bodrum had two good chances leading up to the half hour mark, but the 1^st was saved by Korcan, and the 2^nd was missed after an excellent sweeping move from their own penalty area to the other end without the ball touching an Ankaragucu player.

Approaching half time and Kehinde made a clever reverse pass for Cerci on the right but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

All square at half time and there was no inkling of what was to come in the 2^nd half.

Ankaragucu started purposefully and Kehinde had two chances in the opening minutes to score.   Firstly, when put through by Mehmet but his shot was past the post.    Secondly, again he was put through but due to his lack of acceleration, a defender was able to dispossess him and clear for a corner.    Then Cerci had a great goal bound header saved.

I felt the break through was coming, and so it did in the 53^rd minute.   A long ball was sent into the box but two defenders missed their clearance and Mahmut was there to accept the gift and he duly slotted in to open the scoring.

I’m sure we could all be forgiven for thinking that was that.    Ankaragucu will put the sword in now.     Wrong !!!

3 minutes later and the equaliser arrived when Orhan received the ball on the left from a defensive block.  He looked up, took aim and sent a well judged angled shot into the top right hand corner with Korcan helpless.

7 minutes later Ankaragucu had the ball back in their court and again I was thinking that this was definitely the beginning of the goal rush.    Ankaragucu was awarded a free kick half way into their own half.   The ball was flighted into the Bodrum penalty area where it was met by the unmarked Alihan who powered in one of his now-famous headers giving the goalkeeper no chance.

Would Ankaragucu now put the match out of sight ?      Wrong again !!!

5 minutes later there were panic stations in the Ankaragucu penalty box from a cross on the   left and the ball was bundled in by Harun with the defence all at sea.    A needless and sloppy goal to concede !

2 minutes later and Bodrum almost went in front, but for a great reflex save from Korcan from a close range shot.

10 minutes to go to the final whistle and I had resigned myself to a share of the spoils, but then Kone decided to spoil the party.    He needlessly gave the ball away when under no pressure and the Bodrum attacker must have shouted ‘thank you Kone’ as he left him for dead.   He crossed to the unmarked Emre in the centre of the box who fired in a bullet of a shot to give Korcan no chance !

There didn’t seem any way back for Ankaragucu, but who would have bet on Bodrum thrusting the knife in one more time.     

5 minutes to go and an innocuous cross was sent over from the right wing and there was Celal to head in at the far post with Kone beside him admiring his heading ability.     Aaaaargh, Kone should have been watching the flight of the ball and could easily have cut it out !!!

It was a lamentable 2^nd half performance from Ankaragucu against a team of ‘amateurs’ (no disrespect to Bodrumspor intended).     Ankaragucu now has a mountain to climb in the 2^nd Leg on 18 December to make further progress in the Turkish Cup.    In all honesty, I am doubtful if they will be able to do it !

In the meantime, Ankaragucu has only 3 days to prepare for the league match against top of the league Basaksehir.     Let’s hope the ‘regulars’ are fit and able to play, ie, Pinto, Djedje, Heurtaux, Erdem O, Yalcin, Faty, Bifouma and Kubilay.      We do not need or want to see another performance like this one today !!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim