GENCLERBIRLIGI UNDONE IN THE ‘MINI’ ANKARA DERBY !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

I was only able to watch the first 30 minutes of the match yesterday, but even with only 4 matches left to play,  it looks likely that Gencler has blown their chance of making the play-offs.

 

They have a ‘home banker’ against already relegated Giresun, but their other 3 matches look very tough indeed, especially away to almost automatically promoted Goztepe.

 

Of course, as I have said many times here, there are no ‘easy’ matches in this league, so there is still all to play for, but ...........time is not on Gencler’s side   !!

 

Keciorengucu          2                   GENCLERBIRLIGI            1

 

Team – Ertugrul, Yasin, Babacan, Yigit, Nzaba, Akabueze, Oguzhan, Ensar, Amilton, M. Yatabare and Melih

 

Substitutes – James, Jimmy Durmaz, M. Cagiran, Ozgur and Oltan

 

Kecioren opened the scoring after 25 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after a VAR  check.     Yasin tripped a Kecioren attacker in the box and the referee had waved play on.   However, he was directed to the VAR and the penalty was quite rightly awarded.    Bitin stepped up and sent Ertugrul the wrong way.

 

Gencler equalised in time-added-on in the 1^st half through Amilton, but Kecioren struck the winning goal halfway through the 2^nd half with a goal by Cinan.

 

Traore of Kecioren received a RED card near the end which obviously didn’t affect the outcome.

 

Next up is a home match on 21 April against mid-table Erzurum and another difficult encounter likely.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – UP FOR THE FIGHT !!!

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

I think we are all agreed that there is no doubting Ankaragucu’s determination to avoid relegation, and that said, it was quite clear last night that the effort put-in by the team reaped their just reward.    Coach Emre Bey has the players fighting for every ball and the will to win is there for all to see.

 

Having gone a goal down early in the match, Ankaragucu fought back to deservedly claim all 3 points and put a little more distance between them and the relegation zone.

 

True enough, with 6 matches left to play, there is still a lot to do, but the performance last night was encouraging for the final run-in.

 

ANKARAGUCU           3                         Gaziantep            1

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Radakovic, Mujakic, Kazimcan, Ali Kaan, Tolga, Morutan, Efkan, Bassogog and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Pedrinho, Tasos, Alexis, Macheda and Renaldo

 

Ankaragucu received a wake-up call after only 7 minutes of the match when Gaziantep scored the opening goal in their first attack, and it was basically down to the defence failing to clear the ball from inside the 6 yard box.   The ball fell kindly to Jevtovic in the centre whose shot went in high centre with Bahadir static.

 

It was all Ankaragucu after that shock opener and they equalised after 24 minutes when Bassogog picked-up the ball in the Ankaragucu half and took off with Gaziantep players in his wake.    He ran straight into the Gaziantep box and slid the ball to Ali Sowe in support and he tapped in for an excellent goal.      Wrong   !!!       VAR was called into play and the goal ruled out for offside.    Marginal, but unfortunately correct   !

 

Ankaragucu continued to attack and were duly rewarded 6 minutes later with a slick piece of skill by Efkan.   He received a long pin-point pass in the centre, shrugged off a challenge and side-footed the ball inside the right post.

 

In the run-up to the half time whistle, Ankaragucu was denied by the woodwork on two occasions.   Firstly, Ali Sowe hit the bar with a header and then Ali Kaan hit the post with a great shot.

 

However, into the 2^nd half, and the 2^nd goal arrived at the half way point when Ali Sowe received a lay-off pass in the centre and he made no mistake.

 

3 minutes later and the icing on the cake when Efkan’s fierce shot from outside the box in the centre whizzed inside the left post.

 

An excellent team performance and all credit to all the players who rose to the occasion.

 

The focus now switches to next Friday when Ankaragucu travel to take on Besiktas in what will be a dress rehearsal for their Cup Semi Final matches.     However, thoughts of the Cup are sure to be put on the back burner in favour of league points   !!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI – 1 STEP FORWARD AND 2 STEPS BACK !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler missed a golden opportunity to move into the play-off zone today when their recent winning run came to an abrupt halt.

 

This should have been a ‘home banker’ on recent form, but all credit to Adana for refusing to capitulate after going a goal down, and their constant harrying of Gencler in the 2^nd half when they refused to allow Gencler time on the ball to dictate play.   Adana’s confidence noticeably grew as the 2^nd half unfolded.

 

However, there is still time for Gencler to impact the play-off group, and perhaps they received a reminder today that it is unwise to under-estimate any team in this league   !

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI           1                       Adanaspor              1

 

Team – Ertugrul, Nzaba, Yigit, Babacan, Yasin, Ensar, Oguzhan, Akabueze, Amilton, Bugra Cagiran and Melih

 

Substitutes – Jimmy Durmaz, M. Yatabare, Oltan and James

 

It was mostly all one-way traffic towards the Adana goal in the 1^st half and Gencler missed a trick to go in with a commanding lead at the half time whistle.

 

Gencler almost opened the scoring after 17 minutes when a shot hit the bar and the ball went out of play.   

 

2 minutes later and this time the ball hit the back of the net when Melih surged into the box and let fly.    However, the linesman’s flag was up for offside.    VAR was called in and the goal was correctly given, but it was a hairline decision.

 

Approaching half time and Melih should have made it 2 when put through again, but his shot went whizzing narrowly past the post.

 

A few minutes later Nzaba saw his well struck long range shot well saved by the goalkeeper who was almost caught out when he strayed too far off his line.

 

Then, almost on the half time whistle came an audacious goal from Dabo after Gencler lost possession on the halfway line.    He took a few steps forward a sent a looping shot over Ertugrul’s head and in just under the bar.    Not an auspicious 1^st half for Ertugrul who didn’t have anything to do apart from hiding his blushes   !!

 

Nothing much to say about the 2^nd half which was all about Adana playing the possession game to obviously frustrate Gencler, and in that respect they achieved their aim   !!

 

Next up for Gencler is the Ankara Derby away to Keciorengucu on 13 April.    With Kecioren near the relegation zone Gencler can expect another tough match with both teams desperate for points.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

Antalyaspor 1-1 Ankaragucu!

 

Ankaragucu produced one of their best performances of the season last night but it wasn't enough to give them the 3 points. Emre Belozoglu will however be happy to take an important point back to the capital with some huge games coming up in the next few weeks both in the league and cup. 

Team - Bahadir, Kitsiou, Uros, Mujakic, Alper, Tolga, Ali Kaan, Pedrinho, Morutan, Bassogog, Ali Sowe

Subs - Fatih, Efkan, Tasos, Kazimcan, Alexis, Saponara, Atakan, Arda, Cephas, Macheda

Antalyaspor away was always going to be a difficult game but Ankaragucu started the game well and were playing some nice football. Morutan and Bassogog were doing their best to try and create, while Ali Sowe worked his socks off. 

The team had two chances in the opening 20 minutes through Ali Sowe and Ali Kaan but both times Helton made a great save. At the other end Bahadir made a good save from Safuri. 

Antalyaspor took the lead on the 39th minute after really poor defending from Mujakic and Alper gave Erdogan so much space and he put the ball past Bahadir to make it 1-0. 

Into the second half and again Ankaragucu continued to come forward and were rewarded on the 63rd minute. Excellent play from Ali Kaan as he broke forward with the ball before passing to Ali Sowe, the Gambian then played a lovely ball into Efkan who brilliantly finished past Helton to make it 1-1. 

Ali Sowe had another couple of chances but couldnt finish them. He worked really hard the whole game and had a decent game. He just needs to be more clinical in front of goal and seems like he is trying to hard and suffering from a bit of low confidence in front of goal. 

Ankaragucu did have the ball in the net late on but Efkan header was ruled out correctly for offside and the match finished 1-1. 

Overall a good performance but the team really do lack any quality in attack. Its also concerning that of all the new signings Emre made in January, only Bassogog has made it into the starting line up. 

Up next is Gaziantep at home next Saturday in what will be a huge game for the club with both sides fighting relegation. 

GENCLERBIRLIGI – SMASH AND GRAB !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Gencler fully deserved to take all 3 points yesterday after grabbing 2 vital goals in the 2^nd half to stun Bolu who were looking the likelier of the two teams, especially after their 1^st half showing.

 

Bolu played some attractive football, but the Gencler defence held firm.    However, Bolu was reeling in the 2^nd half when they went 2 goals down early on.

 

So, after 3 consecutive wins, Gencler is now well placed for the final 6 matches and to make a serious challenge for a play-off spot.    It is well and truly in their own hands now  !

 

Boluspor            1                     GENCLERBIRLIGI                  2

 

Team – Ertugrul, Yasin, Babacan, Yigit, Nzaba, Oguzhan, Ensar, R. B. Cagiran, Akabueze, Amilton and Melih Bostan

 

Substitutes – Elias Durmaz, M. Yatabare and Jimmy Durmaz

 

Only 3 points separated the two teams before the kick-off, so a close match was on the cards, and so it transpired in the 1^st half with both teams evenly matched.     However, it was Bolu who had the best chances with 2 shots on target, but Ertugrul was well placed to deal with both of them.

 

Going in at half time at 0-0 was therefore unsurprising   !

 

Gencler came out for the 2^nd half and immediately went into attack mode.     2 minutes in and the post saved Bolu from Melih’s shot after good work by Amilton to cut the ball back from the goal line.

 

Gencler were not to be denied though when the opening goal came 7 minutes later.   A sweeping move by Gencler down the left and the ball played into Amilton on the right who shot between the goalkeeper’s legs for a stunning goal.

 

10 minutes later and it was two when the Bolu defence made a hash of clearing a Gencler attack and in the process gave possession to Melih.    He surged into the box and his shot was fumbled by the goalkeeper and crossed the line to put Gencler firmly in the driving seat.

 

It was almost 3 with 10 minutes to go  when Ensar’s powerful long range shot heading for the top right was spectacularly saved by the goalkeeper.

 

Bolu’s consolation goal came in time added on when Camara danced around 3 attempted tackles in the box on the left and then made the perfect cut-back to the unmarked Avramovski who made no mistake.    

 

Too little too late from Bolu in the 2^nd half   !!

 

Eyup and Goztepe look safe at the top of the league, so the main focus is now on the play-off positions.

 

Next up for Gencler is a home match on Sunday 7 April against Adanaspor who are in the relegation zone, but it is still mathematically possible for them to reach mid-table safety.   Therefore, this will be another of those ‘close encounters’ with both teams desperate for all 3 points for different reasons   !  

 

3 points for Gencler would put them in a strong position to secure that coveted play-off place.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

ANKARAGUCU – NOT FOR FOLDING !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

In one of Ankaragucu’s best performances of the season last night they made a statement of intent to the teams in the bottom half of the league that they are ready and willing to fight off the threat of relegation.

 

True enough, they are not out of the woods yet, but they can surely be encouraged that they took the scalp of a strong Basaksehir team who are still in the hunt for qualifying for a European Competition next season.

 

With 8 matches left it is still all to play for, and the hope is that Ankaragucu can deliver consistent performances similar to last night’s.   

 

The fight is still very much .........on   !!!

 

ANKARAGUCU              2                       Basaksehir           1

 

Team – Bahadir, Kitsiou, Atakan, Mujakic, Alper, Tolga, Pedrinho, Bassogog, Morutan, Tasos and Ali Sowe

 

Substitutes – Ali Kaan, Arda, Kazimcan, Renaldo and Macheda

 

The first half was fairly even with the match swinging from end to end, but with only 2 clear cut chances.

 

Ali Sowe almost scored when he hit the post with a header with the goalkeeper beaten.

 

At the other end, Bahadir made a great save from a shot just outside the box which was heading in.

 

7 minutes into the 2^nd and Tasos should have done better when well placed, but he sent his shot well over the bar.

 

However, 4 minutes later and the breakthrough arrived when Ali Sowe was brought down in the box.    No argument .........penalty   !         Captain Tolga stepped up to the mark and sent a fierce shot inside the left post.      A perfect penalty   !

 

Basak searched for the equaliser, but Bahadir was equal to the efforts which came his way.

 

Then came The Goal of the Match.      A long clearance was made to Ali Sowe who avoided 3 attempted tackles as he surged into the box before sending his shot inside the left post.

 

Game over    ?          Not quite.

 

Renaldo was put through on the left but the goalkeeper narrowed the angle of his shot to prevent the 3^rd goal.

 

10 minutes to go and Basak pulled a goal back which resulted in a comedy of errors and a slice of luck   !      A cross was sent in from the right to the back post which wasn’t dealt with by Bahadir and the defence.    With the ball bobbing around, Bahadir in the sitting position, Figueiredo was allowed to prod the ball over the line for a soft and sloppy goal.

 

Ankaragucu quelled Basak’s search for the equaliser and calmly ran the clock down   !

 

There is now a 2 weeks break in league action for International matches next weekend and a General Election in Turkey the following weekend.

 

Ankaragucu will be in action again on 2^nd or 3^rd of April when they travel to play Antalyaspor who are sitting in the top half of the league and no doubt still looking to move further up the league to qualify for European football next season.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

GENCLERBIRLIGI MAINTAIN MOMENTUM IN PLAY-OFF RACE !

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

As the season enters the final furlong with only 7 matches left to play, Gencler recorded their 3^rd back-to-back win of the season last night to keep their play-off hopes on track.

 

Despite Kocaeli having the lion’s share of play, Gencler has a striker. Melih Bostan, who has gradually developed into a skilful predatory front-man over the past month or so.    In the event that Gencler don’t make it back into the Super League, I have no doubt that he will be poached by a Super League club next season.

 

This Gencler team seem to be gelling together at the right time and they have a strong bench to see them through the run-in.

 

GENCLERBIRLIGI             2                 Kocaelispor          0

 

Team – Ertugrul, Ozuzhan, Nzaba, Babacan, Yasin, Elias Durmaz, Amilton, Akabueze, James Siliki, Ensar and Melih Bostan

 

Substitutes – Yigit, Ozgur, Gaetan and Oltan

 

Gencler was back in the Eryaman Stadium after playing a few recent matches at The Aktepe Stadium, but I have to say that the surface still looks poor, especially around the goalmouth area.

 

It was a fast and furious 1^st half with both teams intent on attack, but Gencler was well worth their half time lead with 2 clinical finishes.

 

The first came after only 4 minutes when a cross came into the 6 yard box from the right and Melih ghosted in between 3 defenders to prod the ball in.

 

Kocaeli threatened Ertugrul only once when a goal bound header in the centre was saved at the left post.

 

The 2^nd goal arrived in time added on in the 1^st half from a sweeping move down the right.   The ball was played inside to James, but before he could take his shot, Melih nipped in ahead of him to shoot inside the left post.     A true predator   !!

 

Unsurprisingly, the pace of the match noticeably slowed in the 2^nd half with Ertugrul coping easily with only 2 goal bound efforts from Kocaeli.

 

There is now a 2 weeks break in league action for International matches next weekend and the General Election in Turkey the following weekend.

 

Gencler will be in action again on Tuesday 2 April when they travel to play mid-table Bolu who also have play-off aspirations   !

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim