ANKARAGUCU IS NOT FOR QUITTING !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

   

Some people (not us kankas   !!!) were saying that Ankaragucu had thrown the towel in and were doomed to relegation this season.     Ho ho ho   !!!     Think again non-believers   !!     Ankaragucu showed tremendous resilience and skill tonight to topple the table toppers and deservedly took all 3 points   !!

 

ANKARAGUCU         2                  Galatasaray           1

 

Team – Korcan, Kitsiou, Kulusic, Sarlija, Attila, Endri, Ibrahim, Geraldo, Alper, Saba and Borven

 

Substitutes – Voca, Emre, Ricardo, Lukasik and Orkan

 

It was mostly all Galatasaray pressure in the 1^st half, but Ankaragucu was not sitting back and allowing it.    They were fighting for every ball and making every effort to attack.     However, the first serious chance of the match fell to Galatasaray after 20 minutes when a cross came in from the left and a goal bound header was well saved by Korcan for a corner.

 

10 minutes later a careless back-pass by Ibrahim to Korcan was short and was latched onto by an attacker.   From a tight angle his shot went past the post with Korcan covering the shot.

 

5 minutes before the break and Korcan injured himself when reaching for a cross/shot and he hit the post and went down.    It looked like he injured his leg when he fell.    He couldn’t continue and Ricardo came on.

 

2 minutes to go and Ankaragucu eventually put a shot on target when Geraldo had a shot from just outside the box in the centre saved at the left post.

 

1 minutes before the half time whistle and some great work by Geraldo on the right when he crossed into the box.    Endri was shaping to take it on the volley but was brought down and the referee pointed immediately to the spot.    Up stepped Ibrahim to send his shot inside the left post with the goalkeeper diving to the right.

 

An excellent 1^st half with all the Ankaragucu players going flat-out and full marks to the defence for staying solid.

 

The 2^nd half was only 9 minutes old when Saba received a great pass on the left.    Off he went, cut into the box, avoided a challenge and lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper into the top right for a fantastic goal.

 

2 nil up and Galatasaray was looking down, but not out.     Then the drama 2 minutes later .....

 

 Mohammed put his elbow into Ibrahim’s face in a challenge right in front of the referee.    Straight RED card and off he went  !!!

 

Galatasaray rallied and continued to attack, but the Ankaragucu defence played out of the skins tonight and dealt with everything that came their way ........... well until near the end !!!

 

Saba almost scored a 2^nd goal just before the 90^th minute when his shot whizzed narrowly past the post.

 

Then the consolation goal for Galata.....spit......saray when Lukasik was dispossessed easily and the break was on.    The ball was played out on the left to Akturkoglu who curved the ball around Ricardo and in.

 

The final whistle was a relief and celebrations all round to hail Ankaragucu’s first win since the 21^st of January.     Ankaragucu therefore move off the bottom position in the league and are now only 3 points behind the safety zone.      A great confidence boost for the team ahead of Sunday’s match against Fatih Karagumruk in what will be another must win match to put pressure on the bottom teams in the league.

 

I heard the post-match interview with Saba and Kitsiou (in English) and they were both smiling like Cheshire Cats and saying that the whole team believe they can avoid the drop.    That’s fighting talk and great to hear them saying it on live TV.    

 

I’m sure Oracle Kanka Johnny S will be full of optimism for Sunday   ??!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim