ANKARAGUCU FLATTER TO DECEIVE

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Ankara was bathed in sunshine yesterday as Ankaragucu collected 3 valuable points. However, the scoreline tends to flatter Ankaragucu and they will not have opponents as generous as Kasimpasa every week !

ANKARAGUCU 3 Kasimpasa 0

It was a large kanka gathering which turned-up at the Beer Bus Bar. Apart from the 'regulars' (Maniac, Battle Damaged and I) there was Romania Kankie Mary and 15 Bilkent Babes and Braves - too numerous to name ! I am sure that Martyn, Robbie, Steve and Jamie (our departed Bilkent Kankas) would have been proud to see such numbers show up !

Battle Damaged and I organised the taxi procession to the Stadium and in we went without any hitches. The Stadium was almost full in the Ankaragucu sections, but I counted only 3 lonely souls in the away section !!

Team -

Ozden
Guven, Rajnoch, Klukowski and Muhammet
Weeks, Adem, Gabric and Sapara
Vittek and Metin

Substitutes - Ozgur for Gabric in the 1st half
Ugur and Meye in the 2nd half

The match started at a furious pace with both teams in attacking mode.

The pace slowed down a little after 15 minutes but it was still end to end stuff with both goalkeepers kept busy. Kasimpasa made it clear that they didn't come to be the whipping-dogs, and Ankaragucu made it clear that they were still learning how to pass the ball consistently and effectively !!

New signing Gabic went off on the half hour mark (injury ?) to be replaced by my Man of the Match, Ozgur, who had an impressive match, especially in the 2nd half. The Kasimpasa defenders were at a loss how to play him !

Vittek had a good match up front, but time and time again there was nobdy 'in the hole' to pick up his deft flicks and headers. Metin was lying too deep most of the time and that needs to be corrected if Ankaragucu is going to trouble defences.

The first goal came with sighs of relief and hi-fives all round and it was a classic predatory goal from Metin after great work by Vittek. Vittek eluded the Kasimpasa defender on the left and angled a shot for goal which Murat in goal did well to parry. However, Metin was lurking in the right place at the right time and he dived full length to head in. Great goal.

The 2nd half started with Kasimpasa taking the game to Ankaragucu and with Ozden in fine form they soaked it up for the first 10 minutes or so before the match was turned on its head.

A straight red card was shown to Bebbe for hauling back (Ozgur or Vittek - couldn't see clearly) just outside the penalty box as he broke through and was about to shoot. Sapara took on the responsibility for the free kick and sent it past 'the wall' into the bottom left hand corner. A well executed free kick and cue to up the volume. The tribunes were in full cry now !

Ten minutes later and it was three. Meye beat two defenders on the right, looked up, and swung over a perfect cross for the inrushing Vittek. However, the defender, Dos Santos, beat him to the ball and headed a great goal which Vittek would have been proud of !!

It was all Ankaragucu now and those first half passes which went astray were now a distant memory !

A 2nd Red Card came with 10 minutes to go when Sancak put his boot into Ozgur's face presumably going for the same ball. Whether it was deliberate or not is open to conjecture, but the fact is that the referee saw it as deliberate and off he went.

With Kasimpasa down to 9 men the tribunes were screaming and baying for more ....bes bes bes (5, 5, 5) the call rang round the Stadium. However, for some strange reason Ankaragucu took their foot off the gas and played practice passing ! Kasimpasa too were happy to see the match out and settle for 3-0. So, the match petered out to the final whistle.

So, yes, 3 goals and 3 points, but in all honesty there needs to be some hard work done this week on the training ground in preparation for the Ankara Derby next Saturday ........ KO 3.30pm.

After the final whistle and a chance for the players to salute the tribunes with a dance and a song. Then out came a few bagloads of Ankaragucu footballs which the players kicked into Maraton and Gecikondu. Unbelievable stuff - just like Christmas in September ! One of our kankies (Sophie ?) managed to catch one.

Back to the Beer Bus Bar to celebrate and that doesn't happen too often.

Bring on Gencler next week yesssssssssssssssss !!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim