ANKARAGUCU – STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Lots of optimism pre-match (from me too) but again Ankaragucu came crashing back to earth and failed to deliver.   Even snatching one point looked beyond Ankaragucu as the match progressed.

 

Lots of work needed in the next 2 weeks on the Training Pitch in all areas to return to basics, eg, how to pass the ball to a colleague, how to cross a ball into the danger area from attacks and corners .........ooofyaaaa   !!!

 

This was not the performance we were looking for, and to be perfectly honest, it was a well deserved win for Kayseri  !

 

ANKARAGUCU       0                  Kayserispor        1

 

Team – Ricardo, Kitsiou, Pazdan, Pinto, Erdi, Alper, Adzic, Assance, Lukasic, Paintsil and Borven

 

Substitutes – Orkan, Saba, Voca and Emre

 

Ankaragucu started well enough and both Paintsil and Borven had efforts before Ankaragucu faded and Kayseri started to look dangerous.     Old Boy, Ilhan Parlak, had a shot halfway through the 1^st half but it was just past the post.

 

Then, just before the half time whistle he struck with a curled shot from the left to inside the right post with a well crafted and well taken goal.     I suppose we can forgive Ilhan for feeling smug after he was recently released by Ankaragucu   !!

 

Ankaragucu started the 2^nd half in  more determined fashion but Kayseri’s defence was solid and dealt easily with Ankaragucu’s ponderous attacks.

 

10 minutes into the 2^nd half and Kayseri had a fast breakaway which had a goal written all over it, but fortunately the Kayseri attacker was unable to control the ball and the danger was cleared.

At the halfway stage in the 2^nd half Ankaragucu was slowing the game down and playing into Kayseri’s hands who were well able to deal with Ankaragucu’s slow build ups..

 

Saba was introduced and was immediately involved in an Ankaragucu breakaway on the right, but he decided to shoot rather that cutting the ball back for Borven in the middle and his shot was saved at the near post.

 

Saba was again involved soon after when he set-up Kitsiou but his shot was saved.    Then, Pinto had a great run down the left and cut the ball back to Borven who blasted his shot well over the bar.

 

Into the closing minutes and Assane had 2 chances to score but blasted one over the bar and his other effort was feeble and easily saved.

 

Ricardo pulled off a great save in the dying minutes to save a fierce goal bound effort as Kayseri finished the stronger team.

 

So, yet another match which will not live long in the memory  !

 

Emre was introduced from the substitutes bench late-on in the match so I’m still unable to assess his value to the team.

 

On an optimistic note, it may well be that Borven and Bollinga (when he recovers from his injury) could form a successful partnership up front, but we must await Bollinga’s return to action to give it a chance to materialise.

 

So, after 3 matches played, Ankaragucu find themselves in familiar territory, ie, propping up the league with one point   !!

 

Next weekend there is an International Matches break which will give Fuat Bey some breathing space to work on the team’s fitness and tactics before they travel to Rize on the weekend of 17/18 October.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim