GENCLERBIRLIGI FEEL THE HEAT IN BODRUM !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

There were only 3 phases of the match today worth mentioning, ie ........

 

1.      There was an exciting opening in the first 10 minutes, then it was all downhill from there to the halftime whistle with high balls pumped up end-to-end and playing ‘let’s pass the ball back to the goalkeepers   !

 

2.      Similar to the 1^st half at the beginning of the 2^nd half.

 

3.        Until ...........into time added on at the end of the match when Bodrum pulled the trigger as the match was heading for a stalemate  !

 

Bodrumspor              1                     GENCLERBIRLIGI              0

 

Team – Orkun, Yasin, Oguzhan, Babacan, Nzaba, Muhammed, Aosman, Kemaloglu, Akabueze, M. Yatabare and Amilton

 

Substitutes – ‘Olde Gencler Boy’ Jimmy Durmaz, Yigit and R. B. Cagiran

 

4 minutes into the match and there was a let-off for Bodrum when their Goalkeeper’s attempted clearance rebounded to Yatabare, but his shot into an open goal hit the post and was cleared to safety.

 

4 minutes later Bodrum scored but VAR correctly ruled the goal out for offside.

 

3 minutes into the 2^nd half and Amilton was put through after a defensive blunder, but just as he was about to shoot, a saving tackle came in from another defender and the danger cleared.

 

10 minutes later and Furkan scored for Bodrum, but again VAR intervened to show a foul in the build up to the goal.

 

So, as I said, with the match heading for a no score draw deep into time added on, Bodrum produced the sucker punch.     From a throw in on the left, the ball was passed to Osman who set off like a whippet leaving defenders in his wake.     He drove into the box and sent his shot around Orkun and inside the right post   !

 

This result leaves Gencler in mid-table but still within reach of the play-off zone.

 

I will be unable to report on matches for a few weeks due to being out of the Country.   However, I will give a summary of the following matches on my return  -

 

4 February – Gencler v Corum – League

 

8 February – Gencler v Trabzonspor – Turkish Cup

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

THE TURKISH CUP - LAST 16 ROUND

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

The draw for the last 16 of The Turkish Cup has taken place and has been ‘kind’ to Ankaragucu.

 

Ankaragucu will be at home against 2^nd League Erzincanspor on either 6, 7 or 8 February.

 

I’m sure that Emre Hoca will ensure that nothing is taken for granted against a team which knocked out Super League Adana Demirspor in the previous round   !!

 

Genclerbirligi on the other hand will face a more formidable tie at home against Trabzonspor   !!

 

Keep watching this space for the dates and outcome of both matches.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU DO THE NECESSARY !!!

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

No4 of 5 Stadium Bans tonight in an empty Eryaman Stadium   !!

 

Probably not Ankaragucu’s best performance of the season tonight, but they had the determination to grind-out a win to collect 3 vital points in their bid to push further away from the relegation area.

 

So, Ankaragucu move up to 9^th in the league, but as I have said here before, they are still not in the ‘comfort zone’ with only 6 points separating them from 4^th bottom Club Pendik   !!

 

I should also mention that Bahadir had another of his ‘in form’ matches with a series of excellent saves, with another factor being the wayward shooting by the Gumruk forwards.

 

ANKARAGUCU             2                   Fatih Karagumruk            0

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mujakic, Hanousek, Efkan, Pedrinho, Morutan, Ali Kaan, Renaldo and Macheda

 

Substitutes – Tolga, Atakan, Bajic, Mert and Tasos

 

Gumruk was first to threaten in the 7^th minute when they had a corner on the left.    It was met by an attacker in the 6 yard box who’s goal bound header was instinctively saved by Bahadir with the palm of his hand and the ball cleared.

 

A few minutes later, Pedrinho did well to attack on the right and cut the ball back into the danger area, but a defender managed to knee the ball out for a corner.

 

Then in the 24^th minute Ankaragucu took the lead.     Renaldo made a telling pass from the left to just outside the box in the centre.    The ball was helped forward to Ali Kaan who’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper straight back to Ali Kaan who made no mistake with his 2^nd ‘bite of the cherry’  !!

 

9 minutes later Renaldo was put through in the box but his scuffed shot was easily saved by the goalkeeper.

 

3 minutes later and it was Bahadir to the rescue when he made an acrobatic save from a goal bound header.

 

Approaching the half time whistle and Renaldo had a great chance when he received a great pass around the half way line.   He left a defender in his wake as he made for the box, but before he could pull the trigger, he lost control of the ball and the chance was gone.   

 

Into the 2^nd half which was only 10 minutes old when Bahadir made yet another crucial save when he tipped a shot over the bar which looked like it was heading in just under the upright.

 

Then, halfway through the 2^nd half Ankaragucu bagged their 2^nd goal.    It arose out of a defender’s blunder on the right of centre and the loose ball was picked up by Macheda who drove forward and let fly with the ball heading inside the left post.

 

Approaching the final whistle and Bajic had 2 chances to put the icing on the cake, but firstly,his header was saved by the goalkeeper with his outstretched leg, and secondly, he blasted well over the bar from a good position in the box.

 

Next up for Ankaragucu will be ‘the acid test’ when they travel to take on Fenerbahce on Sunday evening 28^th January.      It will no doubt be a searching test for the Ankaragucu defence, but with confidence high at the moment, there is every chance that Ankaragucu can spring a surprise   ?!!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best From Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI KNOCKING AT THE DOOR AGAIN !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler is back in contention for joining the scramble for a play-off position after picking up 3 points tonight which at one point in the match looked out of their reach.

 

It was a game of 2 halves, with Sakarya looking the likelier team to take all 3 points after their 1^st half display, with 60% possession and fast flowing passing football, they looked unstoppable.    However, Sakarya lost their discipline in the 2^nd half, especially after their RED card, and Gencler gradually took advantage and gained control.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI             3                   Sakarya              1

 

Team – Orkan, Nzaba, M. Cagiran, Babacan, Yasin, Akabueze, Kemaloglu, Amilton, Kayode, Erturk and M. Yatabare

 

Substitutes – Aosman, Oguzkan, Yigit, Oltan and Melih

 

Both teams were intent on attack in the 1^st half and had chances, but surprisingly they went in at half time  at 0-0.

 

Sakarya was first to threaten after 10 minutes when Orkun parried a point blank header to prevent a certain goal.     He then cleared the loose ball as an attacker was about to pounce.

 

At the other end, Amilton had 2 chances but in the first he screwed his shot past the post, and in the second his snatched shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

 

Near the half time whistle, and in a fluent passing movement, Sinan of Sakarya was set-up inside the box but his shot was just over the bar.

 

Into time added on in the 1^st half and from yet another fast break by Sakarya, Orkun pulled off another crucial save when he got his fingertips to a shot a split second before a Sakarya attacker.

 

10 minutes into the 2^nd half and Sakarya opened the scoring.     A mistake by Cagiran on the left gave possession to Sakarya and the ball was whipped into the centre to the unmarked Roshi who picked his spot to score easily.

 

5 minutes later the match swung in Gencler’s favour.      A Gencler player was needlessly brought down just inside the box on the left with no apparent immediate danger for Sakarya.   Notwithstanding, the referee quite rightly pointed to the spot for a penalty.

 

Aosman sent a fierce shot inside the left post which was too powerful for the goalkeeper to reach.

 

5 minutes later and Hasan of Sakarya saw RED when he was obviously arguing with the referee about a decision he made in favour of Gencler.    It looked like a yellow at first, but then he obviously said something ‘very naughty’ to the referee who then produced the RED card.    Hasan was incensed and was right into the referee’s face and it looked like he was almost about to head-butt him.     However, he was restrained by team-mates and officials before being escorted from the field by Sakarya officials.     No doubt The TFF will be giving Hasan Bey an extended holiday   !!!

 

It was all Gencler now as they went for the jugular   !

 

15 minutes to go and Yatabare had a shot on goal which the goalkeeper spilled for a corner.

 

From the resulting corner on the right, the ball was sent to the left and then back again to the right for Yasin to loop a header into the top corner.

 

5 minutes later and Gencler put the match to bed with No 3.    Similar to the previous goal, the ball was crossed from left to right and back to left for Yatabare to head in.

 

The final whistle went and still time for another RED when Murat of Sakarya obviously said something very nasty to the referee who firstly showed a yellow and then a RED.     He also had to be restrained by players and officials.      The referees were then surrounded by Police and escorted off the field   !!!

 

Next up for Gencler is a trip to Bodrum on Sunday 28 January.     Bodrum is also in the play-off mix so an extra competitive match is surely in prospect.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – INCONSISTENCY RE-VISITED !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Well, Ankaragucu may well be inconsistent and goal shy in front of goal, especially with Ali Sowe absent on Africa Cup duty, and his deputies , Bajic and Macheda, being powder-puff up front in his absence.     However, Ankaragucu can still ‘boast’ that they are the Draw Specialists of The Super League with 10 so far this season ........yawn......yawn   !!!

 

Yet another draw tonight and, to be honest, they were fortunate to ‘win’ their one point in what was a dour struggle, especially in the 1^st half.

 

Adana Demirspor           1                       ANKARAGUCU               1

 

Team – Bahadir, Hanousek, Mujakic, Radakovic, Kitsiou, Pedrinho, Tolga, Renaldo, Ali Kaan, Morutan and Bajic

 

Substitutes – Macheda, Tasos, Mert and Atakan

 

Ankaragucu had the first chance to open the scoring after 10 minutes when Bajic had his shot parried by the goalkeeper, but Morutan, who was first to the ball couldn’t connect with the ball behind him.

 

A few minutes later at the other end, Bahadir pulled off a great save from a goal bound shot heading for the top right.

 

Half way through the 1^st half and Bajic had 3 chances to find the opener.     Firstly, when in a good position to shoot, he hesitated and was dispossessed by a defender.    Secondly, his attempted pass to Renaldo to instigate an attack, was sent direct to an Adana defender.     Finally, when in a good position, he sent a weak shot to the goalkeeper.    Pathetic   !

 

Shortly after that, Adana had the ball in the back of the net for the opening goal.       BUT ......the referee was directed to VAR which clearly showed an Adana attacker had used his arm to control the ball in the build-up.

 

5 minutes into the 2^nd half and Adana opened the scoring from one of their hallmark fast breaks.    The ball was crossed from the left into the box where the ball was blocked, but from the deflection, it was back-heeled by an Adana forward to the unmarked Akbaba at the back post who made no mistake.

 

10 minutes later and the equaliser arrived courtesy of a well planned and executed free kick by Pedrinho in the centre just outside the box.      He positioned 3 of his colleagues to the left of the wall, and then sent his shot into the space they provided after separation and the ball went inside the left post.

 

15 minutes to go and it was Bahadir to the rescue when he saved a certain goal from a shot inside the 6 yard area.

 

Into the last 5 minutes and Ankaragucu resorted to keeping possession to obviously run the clock down and claim their customary one point   !!

 

Ankaragucu may well be sitting in mid-table (precariously  !!) but they are still too close to the relegation zone for comfort.     

 

Therefore, the next match at home to Fatih Karagumruk (4 points below Ankaragucu) on Wednesday 24 January takes on added significance.   

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome   !

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIG – ‘STEAL’ A PLACE IN THE LAST 16 OF THE TURKISH CUP !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

What a way to win a match   !!!

 

To score the winning goal on the full time whistle is normally in the script for comics and books   !!     However, all credit to Gencler for ‘hanging in there’ when it looked like Kayseri was the likelier team to find the winner.

 

Kayserispor            1                       GENCLERBIRLIGI             2

 

Team – Cetin, Oguzkan, Yigit, Nzaba, Arda, Mert, M. Cagiran, Ozturk, Aosman, Halit and Melih

 

Substitutes – Akabueze and Erturk

 

I couldn’t watch the 1^st half of the match today, but Kayseri opened the scoring after 20 minutes through Sariarslan.       Gencler equalised just before half time with an Aosman penalty.

 

Lots of new faces in the Gencler starting line-up which indicated that they were, quite rightly. giving priority to the league rather than the Cup – after all, they were playing a Super League team   !!

 

Half way through the 2^nd half and Kayseri almost gifted a goal to Gencler when a Kayseri player gave the ball to Aosman from a throw-in with no other Kayseri player near him, but his final shot was saved.

 

It was Kayseri with most of the possession in the 2^nd half, but both defences were at the top of their game.   Lots of Kayseri shots going over the bar and past the post with Gencler relying on breakaways for the most part.  

 

Then, with a penalty kicks decider looming, Gencler stunned Kayseri with the winning goal 4 minutes into time added on.     From another Gencler breakaway, Aosman powered his way into the box on the right avoiding 3 half-hearted tackles, and shot inside the left post.

 

So, Gencler join Ankaragucu in the last 16, and wouldn’t it be fortuitous if they were drawn against each other   ??!!       I’ll put the draw up here in the comments section when known   !

 

Keep watching this space   !!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – INTO THE 6th ROUND OF THE TURKISH CUP !

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu squeezed into the 6^th Round of The Turkish Cup last night but had to rely on 2 late penalties to secure a victory which at no time in the match looked guaranteed.

 

Sure enough, a 3-1 win sounds convincing on paper, but Ankaragucu made heavy weather of it after a listless and disappointing 1^st half.

 

ANKARAGUCU            3                       Rize                1

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Mert, Mujakic, Hanousek, Pedrinho, Ali Kaan, Morutan, Efkan, Renaldo and Macheda

 

Substitutes – Atakan, Tolga, Radakovic and Tasos

 

The 1^st half was a non-event with the main highlight being the pretty patterns Ankaragucu was weaving around in their own half of the pitch   !!

 

Hanousek was guilty of some slack back-passes, one of which he was thankful to Bahadir for making a crucial save.

 

Macheda had the only real chance when, just before the half time whistle, he shot tamely at the goalkeeper.

 

Also, I lost count of all the chances which Renaldo scorned with none of them on target.

 

Into the 2^nd half and it was, as you were, with Renaldo and Efkan having reasonable chances, but both off target.

 

Then, when I was contemplating yet another 0-0, Ankaragucu pulled the trigger.

 

10 minutes in and Macheda broke free on the right, but instead of cutting the ball back to the unmarked Efkan in the centre of the box, he shot and the ball went out of play for a corner.

 

From the resulting corner, the ball was deflected to the unmarked Ali Kaan on the right who made no mistake by firing in to put Ankaragucu in pole position.

 

10 minutes to go and Renaldo had yet another chance to put the match beyond Rize, but he scuffed his weak effort which was easily saved.

 

But ......... with the full time whistle in sight, Rize conjured up the equaliser to silence the crowd.

 

Pala  received a pass in the centre about 25 yards out and let fly with a shot which Bahadir should have managed to tip over the bar, but he obviously misjudged the flight of the ball which hit the underside of the bar and in.

 

Into time added on and Morutan was adjudged to have been brought down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.

 

I’m not complaining .......BUT ........it was never a penalty in my humble opinion   !!!

 

I believe that the referee was ‘compensating’ for failing to award a genuine penalty a few minutes earlier when Macheda was unceremoniously hauled to the ground and he just waved play on   !!

 

Referees are human after all ........... aren’t they   ???!!!

 

Club Captain Tolga took responsibility and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to secure victory and take Ankaragucu a step further forward in the Cup Trail.

 

However, Ankaragucu wasn’t quite finished   !!

 

2 minutes later and another penalty   !!

 

Mujakic was up in attack inside the box on the left and was about to cross the ball into the centre when he was brought down.    No doubt about it this time ........ stonewall penalty   !

 

Up stepped Morutan to send a fierce shot into the right with the goalkeeper going the wrong way.

 

Alls well that ends well, and Ankaragucu move into the last 16.

 

Back to league business on Saturday when Ankaragucu travel to Adana.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI – BACK TO THE DRAW-ing BOARD !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

At the halfway point in the season, and Gencler seem determined to retain the unlikely distinction as one of the draw specialists of The Championship League with 7 draws so far in the season.   (Erzurumspor is leading the race with 8   !!).

 

Gencler is stuck in 8^th position in the league, just outside the play-off positions, and the time is overdue to dispense with winning one point instead of three to move back into contention for promotion.

 

Umraniye              1                       GENCLERBIRLIGI             1

 

Team – Orkun, Yasin, Yigit, Babacan, Nzaba, Akabueze, Kayode, Kemaloglu, Amilton, Erturk and M. Yatabare

 

Substitutes – Aias, Ozughan and Rodrigues

 

In the 1^st half last night, both teams were intent on attack, and early on, Yatabare had a goal bound shot well saved.     At the other end, Umraniye hit the underside of the bar with the ball being cleared to safety.

 

It was Gencler who snatched the initiative when a cross was sent in from the left.    Yatabare had a slight touch with a back-header to the unmarked Amilton who made no mistake with his header.

 

Into the 2^nd half and the Umraniye goalkeeper pulled off two great consecutive saves by Yatabare and Kayode.     Both efforts were destined for the back of the net   !

 

It was not all one-way traffic with Umraniye playing some attractive football, but their efforts in the final third was their downfall.

 

They missed a golden opportunity with 15 minutes to go when an attacker was presented with an open goal but he somehow contrived to screw the ball out off the outside of the post.

 

However, their persistence finally paid off 5 minutes later with a well deserved equaliser.     A corner was sent into the box where Mustafa had time to chest the ball down and fire a shot in.

 

So, on reflection, a fair result on the balance of play   !

 

Back to the DRAW-ing board for Gencler as they prepare for the visit of Sakaryaspor (currently in the play-off zone) on Sunday 21 January.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Ankaragücü 3-1 Kasimpasa!

 

Ankaragücü took all 3 points and an important win as they continued the fight against relegation and also another game played behind closed doors due to the stadium ban.

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Uros, Mujakic, Atakan, Ali Kaan, Pedrinho, Tasos, Cephas, Morutan, Bajic

Subs - Rafal, Hanousek, Tolga, Macheda, Cem, Djokanovic, Sirac, Dogukan, Mert, Hayrullah

First chance in the game came for Kasimpasa after a Mujakic mistake but Da Costa could only shoot into the side netting.

On the 27th minute Bahadir played a great long ball for Cephas who rounded the keeper and had an empty net and player on the line but he some how shot straight at the Kasimpasa defender. 

Ten minutes later poor defending from Atakan, and a bad clearance from Bahadir gifted Kasimpasa a goal as Aytac blasted the ball into bottom corner from outside the box.

Kasimpasa had another great chance on the 41st minute with only Bahadir to beat but again they hit the side netting. 

Just before half time Cephas went close but the keeper tipped the ball over for a corner. From the resulting corner Pedrinho put in a good ball and Mujakic headed into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

Half Time 1-1

Ten minutes into the second half Bajic set up Tasos at the back post who only had the keeper to beat but his shot went high and wide. It’s no wonder he has only scored 1 league goal on 30 games.

Minutes later, Morutan played a great long ball for Cephas who brilliantly beat 2 players before setting up Bajic who tapped the ball into the net. 2-1

Kasimpasa then had a goal ruled out for hand ball and moments later hit the cross bar from close range as they chased the equaliser.

Ankaragücü then killed the game off as Pedrinho capitalised on a mistake in defence as he scored to make it 3-1. That’s 2 assists and a goal for the Portuguese midfielder in the last 2 games as Emre clearly sees him as part of his plans.

A good 3 points for Ankaragücü but there is a lot of work to be done. This current group don’t have enough quality to stay up. Emre confirmed after the game that the transfer ban will be lifted and he will bring in 5-6 players. Mert Hakan from Fenerbahce has been mentioned but we will await confirmation.

Next up is the home match with Rizespor in the Cup on Tuesday. Emre also wants a full crowd at the game as there is no stadium ban for cup matches.

ANKARAGUCU – THE DRAW SPECIALISTS ...........AGAIN !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu fought back from a goal down last night, when seemingly on the road to another defeat, to cement their fast growing reputation as The Super League Draw Specialists   !!!

 

The torrential rain in the 2^nd half made the playing surface like an ice-rink and the players were forced into playing long high balls with the ball sticking to the puddles all over the pitch making it impossible to pass the ball with their usual accuracy.     It was farcical at times   !!!

 

The 1^st half saw both teams evenly matched until Ankaragucu was reduced to 10 men just before the half time whistle, and it was therefore no surprise when Alanya took the lead just after the resumption.

 

Alanya             1                         ANKARAGUCU           1

 

Team – Bahadir, Hanousek, Mujakic, Radakovic, Kitsiou, Pedrinho, Ali Kaan, Tasos, Efkan, Morutan and Macheda

 

Substitutes – Atakan, Bajic and Mert

 

Efkan received a yellow card just before the half time whistle for a dangerous looking tackle from behind to an Alanya player’s lower leg calf.      The referee was then directed to VAR and upgraded the card to RED   !

 

The only other significant action in the 1^st half was a great instinctive save by Bahadir into time added on when he stopped a bullet of a goal bound header fired in at close range.

 

The 2^nd half was only 2 minutes old when Alanya took the lead.

 

Balkovec shot from outside the box on the left which Bahadir seemed to have covered, but he fumbled the ball and it crept inside the right post.   It is easy to criticise Bahadir for preventing the goal but perhaps the soggy conditions contributed to his effort to hold the ball ??!!

 

At this stage of the match Alanya took control as they went for the kill and attacked relentlessly looking to put the match to bed   !!

 

However, 10 minutes later they also received a straight RED card when Fer followed through aggressively on a tackle.     It also resulted in a skirmish between several players pushing and shoving which resulted in 2 yellow cards to the main perpetrators, one of which was Radakovic.

 

The match then descended into a comedy of errors with all the players unable to control and pass the ball on the ground due to the puddles all over the pitch as the rain continued its downpour   !!

 

Then with 20 minutes to go, and from an Ankaragucu corner on the right, Rdakovic, sandwiched between two defenders, climbed highest to power in a header for the equaliser   !

 

5 minutes later the referee stopped play as he was obviously considering abandoning the match due to the atrocious conditions, however, after strong pleas from both captains, he agreed to continue   !

 

The match was then played out with long high balls for the attackers to chase in hope rather than with tactics, and also defenders hoofing the ball out of play to protect their goalkeepers.

 

So, to be perfectly honest, a fair result in the end, but it still leaves Ankaragucu perilously close to the relegation zone   !!

 

Next up is a home match against mid-table Kasimpasa on Saturday 13 January.      Dare I say it again ............ another MUST WIN match    !!!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim