Greetings Kankas and Kankies.
What a fantastic come-back from Ankaragucu. 1-2 down with 5 minutes to go and then .....
ANKARAGUCU 3 Galatasaray 2
We met up in the Beer Bus Bar - Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Maniac Kanka Harun and I. We were also joined by Flying Dutchman Kanka Carlo and Oz Kanka Chris who were there to watch the Antalya v Gencler match.
Off to the Stadium we went on a pleasant sunny day where we met up with Rip Off Kanka Erman.
The Stadium was almost full with just a few spaces in Gecekondu and the noise factor was high.
Team -
Ozden
Ugur, Rajnoch, Zewlakow, Klukowski
Gabric, Adem, Sapara, Serdar
Sestak and Fatih
Substitutes - Ozgur, Bednar and Dogan (no place for Vittek who was ill)
The match got underway and for the first 10 minutes or so it was a cat and mouse match with both teams feeling each other out.
Ankaragucu had their chances. Fatih and Sestak slipped at the vital moments when in good positions. Gabric, Sestak and Sapara had shots on goal but Zapata was equal to them.
It was end to end footie, but then Galatasaray drew first blood. A great move on 33 minutes which carved open the Ankaragucu defence and Aydin had the simplest of tasks to slot it in. We didn't have the correct angle in Marton but it looked offside to me.
Galatasaray was now looking the more dangerous as half time approached but the Ankaragucu defence held firm with Zewlakow in particular having a calming influence and making some great clearing tackles.
Mesut Bakkal's half time team talk obviously did the trick when Ankaragucu came out looking more determined and hungrier than before the break.
Sapara fired in a rocket of a free kick on 50 minutes which went just past. Then, 2 minutes later the well deserved equaliser came. A corner was slung over by Sapara to the near post, which was flicked over to the far post where Sestak, in a great position, was able to head in.
It was all Ankaragucu now and we were sensing another goal.
However, it came at the other end against the run of play.
It has to be said though ..... a great goal. A shot came in and hit the bar which rebounded to Pino and he fired in a great shot to the top right hand corner with Ozden well beaten.
70 minutes in and it was still all Ankaragucu searching for the equaliser. Sapara blasted over when a tap-in was all that was needed, and Sestak shot just past the post.
Then, with only 5 minutes left, a great cross ball and Sestak headed in to send the tribunes into raptures.
I have to confess that I was happy to settle for a point at this stage, but Sestak wasn't !!
3 minutes later he squeezed a shot inside the right post with Zapata unable to reach it.
We all went loopy dancing like lunatics. The noise factor was deafening, and ..... the Galatasary tribune was ....... SILENT !!!
Final whistle and what a great team performance from Ankaragucu with Sestak obviously taking Man of the Match award for his predatory skills. Captain Sapara also played his part as usual, and for the short time he was on (25 minutes) Bednar showed some promise for the future.
A word of praise also for the referee, Halis Ozkahya, who showed the good face of refereeing in Turkey.
Looking forward to next weekend ....
Sunday evening 20th - Gencler v Trabzon
Monday evening 21st - Bursa v Ankaragucu
All the best from Eski Kanka Jim
The Round Ball in Ankara! Dedicated to football lovers in Ankara (Except for those who follow Osmanlispor)
Great performance from the team. Mesut the messiah is certainly marking his stamp on the team. Poor defending for the first goal. But the second half we were a different team. Sapara had his best game in a while.
ReplyDeleteWe deserved the win, and Well done Sestak. Thats us without Guven Varol and Vittek as well. Bring on Bursa
nadeem
What a feeling it was when Sestak put the winning goal in. This is one match I would have been heartbroken to have missed.
ReplyDeleteim already saving my pennies so i can make a game next season. Will have to give up my rangers season ticket i think :-(
ReplyDeleteWish i was there yesterday, although going with my record we would have lost lol
nadeem
Maybe Mesut will prove to be a lucky manager.Same players but marked change in results so far.If I could have a good manager or a lucky manager I'd take the lucky one every time!Great result.
ReplyDeleteDublin Neil.
seems to be alot more involved than umit ozat as well neil. Umit was laid back and just sat in the dugout, where as mesut kicks every ball from the touch line
ReplyDeletenadeem
Well that always LOOKS better to the fans anyway Nadeem.As regards next Monday's game I'm sure you dont want to see Kenny Miller's name on the score sheet?!
ReplyDeleteDublin Neil.
Agree with Nadeem. I like to see the coach on the touchline totally involved with the match, and I'm sure the players expect it and appreciate it too.
ReplyDeletebtw - KO times as follows -
Sunday 7pm - Gencler v Trabzon
Monday 8pm - Bursa v Ankaragucu
All the best from Eski Kanka Jim
So far, I see Mesut not as being lucky but as being more capable than Umit. Under Mesut, we have seen players that Umit hadn't played, and much more intelligent substitutions--or at least substitutions that work.
ReplyDeleteOf course it is still too early on to know whether Mesut will be a good long term fıt, but as they say in Italıan, "Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera" (a good start is half the battle).
I should say players that Umit hadn't gıven much playing time to.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would have given to have seen this match. Unbelievable. I'll never understand how we can do so well against Istanbul this season and yet still tie Sivas and lose to Kasimpasa a few weeks back. Seriously, this team will be the death of me.
ReplyDeleteNeil, yeah mate Kenny Better not score lol, Looking forward to monday night, just hope we put up a better fight than the last game against Bursa
ReplyDeletenadeem
meant to say as well, special mention to anti x for there display in tribute to the Japonese victims of the trajic tsunami.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.since1910.net/Haber/sadece-istanbulu-degil-anadolumuzu-da-takip-ediniz
nadeem