Denizlispor-Ankaragucu

Photo courtesy of Berkay Demirdamar

Denizlispor: İsmail, Erhan Kartal, Mailkov, Berkay, Oğuzhan, Hüseyin, Haluk, İsmail Haktan, Veli Acar, Can Erdem, Bajram Fetai

Ankaragücü: Bayram, Ümit, Volkan, Aytaç, Mehmet Taşçı, Gürkan, Mert Erdoğan, Timur Bayram, Gökhan Erdoğan, Kaan, Sinan

Watching the match on TRT's WebTV. The first half hour has come and gone without much of note happening. The teams are looking more or less equally capable--at times incapable--but neither one has really come alive yet.

Well, I take that back. Veli just scored for Denizli off a corner from Bajram.

Denizlispor 1--Ankaragucu 0

And now Timur almost equalized. My how things have changed.

Unfortunately, TRT doesn't post the time, so I have no idea how far into the match we are unless the commentat...

Timur scores after a goal mouth melee!!!

Denizlispor 1--Ankaragucu 1

And we go into halftime with that score. 

Anyway, as I was saying it is too bad that TRT doesn't let us know the time. We'll just have to rely on the commentators mentioning it from time to time.

Second Half

Volkan shoots from pretty far out and almost scores. Nice save by the Denizli keeper.

AG is bombarding the Denizli goal now. Beautiful kick on the turn by Timur. Some nice saves by keeper Ismail.

Denizli now on the attack. Dangerous but we emerge unscathed.

Our fans were just shown with their scarves held high. Commentators mentioned that four buses made it out to Denizli, but it looks like more than that.

We are back on the attack. Spending a lot of time inside of their goal box, but so far no results.

Now it is time for our defense to shine. Saving us from a renewed Denizli attack. I'm involuntarily holding my breath at moments now. We need to score again, so I can relax a bit.

They keep attacking us from the left. We're safe for the moment, but something has to be done about that or it will catch up with us.

Bellshill kanka sends me this message:

denizli coming back into the game now, kaan is a machine

 I agree with him on both counts.

And now Denizli is attacking again on the left.

Ok we're on the attack now. Sinan is fouled. Ball back in play, but Denizli wrestle it away from us.

Ok, we got it back. Now Denizli. Now us. Kaan shot on goal blocked. This is all a bit dizzying.

Our defense back to warding off threats. What a difference in the quality of the defense in recent weeks.

Look at our fans. What the hell are they doing? Looks like AG line dancing or something.

Timur on the attack again. Denizli defender tackles it away. Corner. Ball in the air. No one can get high enough. Cleared.

Last 14 minutes of the match according to TRT.

Can Erdem scores for Denizli.

Denizlispor 2--Ankaragucu 1

Kaan off. Hasan comes on in his place.

One of the Denizli players rolling around on the ground to kill time now.

Bellshill Kanka suggests that the goal may have been off side. Need a replay.

Yellow card Denizli 77 for brutal sliding tackle on Hasan.

Umut on for captain Mert. Ümit takes over captaining duties.Caner

We are running out of time, guys. C'mon...No, Caner and Denizli on the attack again shoots from the top of the box but misses.

Denizli number 9 Haluk elbows Mehmet in the face, but there is no card. Belllshill Kanka a wee bit outraged, as well he should be.

Only two minutes of regular play left.

71 Orhan comes in for Mehmet with three minutes of injury tme.

Denizli bring new player on. M.Bulut comes on for Bajram.

Denizli almost score on the corner when Bayram fumbles a bit, but Vokan is able to clear it.

We score but the ref. disallows it!!! Our fans breaking chairs now apparently. Was there a foul. That appears to be the decision.

I can hear the Gecekondu chant from the tribunes. We may have lost but we did not lose quietly. Nor did we go down easily. Decent performance. I would really like to see replays of Caner's goal, and of our disallowed goal. But whether we like it or not the match ends. I am gutted as are all Gucu fans, I'm sure. 

Denizlispor 2--Ankaragucu 1Bellshill Kanka, who probably had a bigger screen and knows the laws of the game better than I, has this to say, "the challenge on hasan should have saw denizli down to 10 men, if not that the elbow on mehmet should have. and then the goal at the end, the goalkeeper didnt have the ball off the ground and that is the rule. it was a clear goal

Our fans are pulling seats out and throwing them onto the field. The announcer is denouncing this type of behaviour. Some things never seem to change.