ANKARAGUCU DEFENCE ERECT A BLOCKADE !

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

Ankaragucu escaped from Eryaman Stadium last night with one point thanks to some resolute defending by the back FIVE who were outstanding throughout the match.   Coupled with some woeful finishing by Besiktas, the result felt more like a victory rather than a share of the spoils.   Besiktas had 68% possession which tells another story !

ANKARAGUCU      0              Beshiktrash         0

Team – Korcan, Kitsou, Pazdan, Kulusic, Pinto, Faty, Moke, Sedat, Hasan Orgill and Ilhan

Substitutes – Sadaev, Mehmet and Aydin

I met-up with guest kankas Haluk, Atagun, Yildirim and Emre at The Alerta Bar and we watched the tail-end of a match which propelled Trabzon to the top of the league.   Interestingly, Sturridge started his first match and scored the opening goal.

Back to the main match, and apart from one shot from Hasan which whizzed past the post, it was all Besiktas.

Burak missed an easy chance when his weak shot was saved by Korcan, but Pazdan was covering the goal line in any case.

On the half hour mark a certain goal was brilliantly saved by Korcan when a Besiktas player waltzed through the defence and struck it well

Shortly after, it was Korcan again when he dived bravely at an attacker’s feet as he was about to connect with the ball.   Korcan received a blow to the head from the attacker’s trailing foot, but was allowed to continue after treatment.  Korcan was by far and away my Man of the Match !

It was all Besiktas pressure right up to the half time whistle and it took a saving tackle by Pazdan to deny a goal bound shot which was the last action from the first half.

On the resumption, Hasan had another chance when he was put through on the right when he eluded the Besiktas defence, but his shot from the right went past he left post.   That was the end of Ankaragucu’s goal threat and Besiktas continued to dominate proceedings.

Burak almost scored but Korcan managed to save with his fingertips and the ball was cleared.

Into the final 15 minutes and Sedat stupidly got himself sent off for time wasting tactics and then arguing with the referee.

Besiktas camped themselves in the Ankaragucu half of the field for the final 15 minutes.

Korcan was almost beaten in the final 5 minutes, but is was either Kitsou or Kulusic who managed to stick out a leg and clear the goal bound shot.

There was one last chance when a striker was put through but with only Korcan to beat he sent his shot past the post.

The Ankaragucu players never gave up, and as I said, the back 5 played their socks off.   Orgill ran and chased everything, the midfield couldn’t cope with the Besiktas machine and Ilhan was invisible as usual !

So, this result leaves Ankaragucu still only 2 points off the bottom 3, and with another difficult match away to Rize next Friday night, the situation is looking grim.

With the transfer ban  still in place, the only positive is that the Ankaragucu back 5 are determined not to concede.   So, we can expect more of the same before the season is ended, ie, 0-0 scorelines !!!

God help us if Orgill or Hasan is seriously injured before the season grinds to a halt !!

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim