It has been quite a while

While having a beer in the Chopin today with Alpine Kanka Wolfgang, Little Alpine Kanka Christian and Spine we discussed when was the last time that Genclerbirligi had won a match. We couldn't actually remember. Hope was of course that today, against one of the relegation teams we might finally pull something out of the bag, instead it was Erciyes who sucker-punched us.

Genclerbirligi 1 Erciyesspor 2

Al Gore! You are peddling a load of bullshit. Global warming is purely in your imagination. Just come to Ankara to find out. Here we are at the end of April and it is bloody cold. Sure, not freezer cold but still enough to wish I had brought an extra jumper! So I blame the weather for the less than stellar turnout today. I've already mentioned who came along, we had a few beers, Little Alpine Kanka Christian was on the cola (I have to say that in case his mum reads this), and then we headed off to the stadium.

PHOTO: Little Alpine Kanka Christian, Alpine Kanka Wolfgang and Spine. In the row behind is Anna, a Spanish gal who we met at the match and who could well become a regular.

Considering this was Genclerbirligi and the fact we have nothing to play for this season I guess the crowd of four, perhaps five thousand was okay. What we lacked in numbers though we made up in spirit. For perhaps the same reasons as stated above we sang right through the match. We cheered the opposition, we cheered Genclerbirligi but perhaps most of all we jeered Ilhan Cavcav.

The match itself. Manager Mesut Bakkal decided to ring through the changes dropping forward Okan Ozturk, midfielder Mehmet Cakir and fullback Mr. Fish (Tuna). On came the Brazillian duo of Sandro and Tozo, and someone else.

It seemed to have worked. In the first 25 minutes we were all over Erciyes. Passes were sticking, one-twos were working and Sandro in particular was brilliant. As usual though we couldn't get a decent shot on goal.

Total and utter domination on the pitch and then... arrrggghhh... Erciyes go on the attack, the ball falls to one of their forwards who seemingly has forever to take a shot from just outside the box. He takes it and Jesus in goal doesn't have a chance. 0-1.

We Gencler fans applauded, sang a few pro-Gencler songs and then got back to the reason why we actually go to the football, to tell Ilhan Cavcav to get f.....

We had a few chances in the first half. Isaac Promise (why couldn't Bakkal have dropped him today!) managed to hit the post. Draman stuffed up in front and there were a few other shots that were sent somewhere in the vicinity of the Havas terminal.

Down at half time but the general feeling was that this was still our match for the taking. I genuinely believe that we played well today, perhaps the best we have played for a long time. All we have to do is sort out the up front bit ... ie... lose Promise!

Therefore I couldn't stop laughing when our goal actually came. Draman was a fair way out, around 40 metres, when he sent in a pass to Isaac Promise. The Erciyes keeper, who clearly has never read this blog, decided to track Promise, who by this stage had decided not to bother to go for the ball. "Blast," I may have said, but my swearing was too early as the keeper had stuffed it up. The pass from Draman actually went into the back of the net. If this was planned then it was bloody brilliant. Somehow I doubt it though.

1-1 and we were singing away. The songs were mainly anti-Cavcav. "Padishah Cavcav", "Pickle your money Cavcav" etc etc. By the way, have I mentioned before that we don't like the Genclerbirligi chairman?

As I said before we were in total control. And then came the sucker-punch mentioned at the beginning of this tale.

Erciyes take a corner in the 89th minute, Jesus comes out and was clearly in 234 minds as to how to deal with it, he punches the ball, the ball goes back towards his own goal, an Erciyes players pounces ... and goal.

Match over and perhaps not surprisingly the Gencler players refused to come over as we called out "Buraya, buraya, Genclerbirligi buraya". The Erciyes players did come over though and we all sang "the cup will be yours" in reference to their upcoming Turkish Cup final against Besiktas. I hope they smash them.

Great match and great atmosphere but yet another loss. Does anyone out there remember the last time we won a match?