DOOM AND GLOOM IN SUNNY ANKARA !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

After our pre-match ‘refreshments’, we entered the Stadium full of cheer and optimism on a
beautiful cloudless day with the temperature in the high 20sC. However, that’s the last of the
good news !! We left the Stadium 2 hours later dragging our feet and with long faces ! We
only started to smile again during our post-match ‘refreshments’ in the Yeni Sedir Pub when
Basaksehirspor beat the hated Fenerbahce yesssssssss !!!

ANKARAGUCU 1 Balikesirspor 2

Rewind ................ The day didn’t start well when Battle Damaged Kanka Damon and I
couldn’t get tickets for Maraton to join Maniac Kanka Harun and Kaleci Kanka Tansu. The
problem arose when it was announced in early Summer that Ankaragucu would play all their
matches this season in the effin Yenikent Stadium (home of the hated Osmanlispor) because it
had been decided to knock down the 19 Mayis Stadium and build a new Stadium in its place.

However, that decision was rescinded and a stay of execution given for 6 months, but not
before we had bought season tickets for Sag Kapali at Yenikent. So, today we tried to buy
Maraton tickets with our Passolig cards but the Stadium computer system wouldn’t accept it,
therefore we had to go to Sag Kapali in the 19 Mayis Stadium. Posh Kanka Ahmet, Damon
and I in Sag Kapali, with Harun and Tansu in Maraton !

C’est la vie living in an inflexible computer based society, especially this one controlled by
Passolig. Oz Kanka Chris has had many a rant over the years on the subject of Passolig in
this Blog and his experiences in respect of Genclerbirligi matches when it was first introduced
so I will not elaborate !!!

Anyway, as I was saying ................ we entered the Stadium but the Passolig nonsense has
obviously affected Ankaragucu in addition to most of the Clubs in the league. The Stadium
was only about a quarter full and surprisingly there were about 200 in the away end.

The first half was a bore quite honestly with Balikesir threatening only once in the 6 th minute
when a shot went narrowly past the post.

4 minutes later Ankaragucu was unlucky when a shot from outside the box hit the crossbar
with the goalkeeper beaten. There was nobody there to pick-up the pieces and the ball was
cleared.

On the half hour mark an Ankaragucu goalbound shot was blocked and just before the half
time whistle there was a strong claim for a penalty from Ankaragucu for handball in the box,
but the referee decided on a corner.

So, a fairly even first half with both teams failing in the final quarter. Man of the Match,
Erdem, was a constant threat down the right with his attacking runs, but unfortunately he
didn’t have much help from his team-mates !

The 2 nd half was only 5 minutes old when there was a disputed free kick awarded to Balikesir
below us on the right. Some heated words were directed towards the referee and he banished
the Ankaragucu Assistant Coach from the Technical Area to the Stand.

3 minutes later we were smiling and cheering. An Ankaragucu corner on the right was well
taken and flighted and Umut rose above everyone else to bullet a header in for a classic
strikers goal.

Was this the beginning of a goal spree ? No !!!! It didn’t materialise much to our
annoyance !

Then on the 70 th minute Balikesir received a piece of luck when an Ankaragucu clearance was
deflected into the path of a Balikesir attacker who probably couldn’t believe his luck. Thank
you very much says he and off he goes with a one-on- one with Korcan who had no chance.

Ankaragucu still pressed forward but from a free kick and a corner chances were spurned with
headers flying over the bar. We were muttering about yet another draw when disaster struck.

4 minutes from the final whistle and a piece of brilliance from a Balikesir defender.
Receiving the ball in his own half on the right, he looked up and spotted an unmarked
colleague way out on the left wing. His perfectly flighted ball was collected and off he
scampered down the wing, looked up and crossed perfectly for another colleague who’s
goalbound shot hit the post. The rebound fell conveniently for another attacker who had the
easiest of tasks to slot the ball in for the winner !

Where was the Ankaragucu defence you might ask ??? The word Ankaragucu capitulation
springs to mind Aaaaaargh !!!

Apart from Erdem, Umut and Abdulkadir, the team have to look at themselves and ask what
they were playing at yesterday. There was no urgency in midfield to get the ball into the
danger zone. Too often the midfield ran out of ideas and played pass-the- ball between
themselves and Korcan.

This is now the responsibility of The Coach who is now 4 games in without a win. In the
dying minutes of the match all the tribunes were calling for his head. However, I still
believe he needs time to gel this team together and make them an attacking force. The
potential is there, but we haven’t seen it .............. yet !!!

Next weekend will be a real test of his tactics when they travel to top of the league Rizespor.
Optimism will not be on the menu for the kankas me thinks !!!!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim