GENCLERBIRLIGI NEVER FAIL TO AMAZE !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Genclerbirligi has flirted with relegation over the past few seasons and I usually call them the ‘Jekyll and Hyde team of Turkey’  !    Well, they certainly lived up to that reputation last night with a professional performance against Beshiktrash with a Jekyll display.    Few would disagree that BJK were pre-match favourites, but as we saw last night they are not the power they were a few seasons ago !

 

Notwithstanding, it is never easy to go to Istan....spit.....bul and return with all 3 points but Gencler showed great fighting spirit and skill last night to do just that !

 

Besiktas          0                   GENCLERBIRLIGI          1

 

Team – Nordfeld, Polomat, Toure, Johansson, Berat, Sefa, Diego, Yilmas, Furman, Candeias and Stancu

 

Substitutes – Ayite, Mustafa, Sio and Pehlivan

 

Gencler opened the scoring after only 7 minutes when a cross came in from the right.   Stancu reacted quicker than the BJK defenders and headed just inside the left post.   There was a shout for offside, but after consulting VAR the referee quite rightly awarded the goal.

 

BJK continued to dominate possession but became stuck in the final third which gave Gencler opportunities for counter attacking.     Sefa and Candeias both went close from such attacks as the match drifted towards half time.

 

It took BJK until 5 minutes before half time to have their first attempt on goal but the header went past the post.     A 2^nd attempt was made shortly after but the shot by Gokhan was easily saved by Nordfeld.

 

Much the same in the 2^nd half with BJK dominating the possession but there was no cutting edge to their build up play.  

 

Gencler had 4 opportunities in the 2^nd half to put the match to bed.     First, some nice inter-passing footie on the right but the final shot by Sefa was cleared off the line by a defender with the goalkeeper beaten.     Secondly, from another break on the right, the ball was played in for the inrushing Sio but just too much on the pass for him to make contact.

 

The best chance came to Sio in time added on when he missed a sitter when one on one with the goalkeeper when he shot straight at the goalie.    He then picked up the rebound and shot over the crossbar.    Mustafa had the final chance but his shot was past the post.

 

BJK did give Gencler a scare in the 89^th minute when a shot hit the post and was fortunately cleared by a defender.

 

Gencler can be well satisfied with their first win of the season and if they continue to put in performances like this one on a regular basis they can avoid the usual flirtation with relegation this season.

 

It’s  International Football next weekend so the next match will be at home against Denizli on the weekend of 17/18 October.

 

Well done Gencler  !!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim