Sunday, August 28, 2022

ANKARAGUCU CAUGHT COLD !!



 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

Ankaragucu was 2 – 0 down after only 8 minutes last night in Istanbul and was blown away by a slick and tactically superior Fatih Karagumruk team.

 

Ankaragucu never fully recovered from the initial onslaught and spent the most part of the 1st half with their backs to the wall and implementing battle damage limitation   !!

 

Ankaragucu’s old failings from the last few seasons re-appeared when they tried to keep possession in their own half going from side to side and back to Bahadir.    When they did venture into Fatih’s half the attack generally fizzled out with hesitation in the final 3rd with players running out of ideas   !!      Having said that, their penetration improved in the 2nd half with the introduction of Ariyibi and Ali Kaan, but by then it was too late to stage an unlikely come-back.

 

Fatih Karagumruk          4                          ANKARAGUCU         1

 

Team – Bahadir, Marlon, Nihad, Sinan, Oguz, Rodrigues, Pedrinho,l Giorgi, Federico, Zahid and Jese

 

Substitutes – Abdullah, Anastasios, Ariyibi, Diack and Ali Kaan

 

The match was only 3 minutes old when a free kick was awarded to Fatih on the left.    The ball was crossed into a crowded box and lashed in by Duran.    There were protests by the Ankaragucu defenders which prompted the referee to consult VAR and then the goal was given.

 

5 minutes later and Fatih was 2-0 up when they were awarded another free kick in almost the identical spot.    The cross was swung over to the near post and was met by the impressive Borini who angled his header into the top right corner with Bahadir clawing air   !

 

Ankaragucu did have 2 chances to pull a goal back but firstly Frederico missed a sitter when a cross came in from the right and all he had to do was side-foot the ball in, but somehow he contrived to miss the ball and it was cleared.     Near the half time whistle Oguz sent in an inviting cross but the goalkeeper anticipated it and saved before it reached the Ankaragucu attackers.

 

Apart from those 2 half chances, Ankaragucu was overwhelmed in the 1st half.    Fatih was on the front foot and causing all sorts of problems for Ankaragucu’s suspect defence.

 

The 2nd half was only 2 minutes old when Ankaragucu was caught cold again   !     It was probably goal of the match with a sweeping attack down the left, the ball played into Jimmy Durmaz in the centre and an astute flicked pass by him to the right.    The classic cut-back and Borini was ideally positioned to stroke the ball in.

 

5 minutes later and we were dreaming that Ankaragucu could stage a fight-back when Baniya scored an own goal for Ankaragucu   !!     A cross came in from the right and Baniya was obviously trying to hoof the ball out for a corner but the ball ended up in the roof of the net.

 

The fight-back didn't materialise but 15 minutes from the end Ariyibi almost scored when he drove forward and into the box.    His shot was heading inside the right post but the goalkeeper made a great save and turned the ball around the post for a corner.

 

5 minutes later and it was ‘match over’ when a shot hit Sinan’s arm and the referee pointed to the spot.   Diagne sent his fierce shot to the left with Bahadir diving the other way.

 

Into time added on and it was almost 5 when there was panic situation in the Ankaragucu box but in the end the ball was cleared .

 

The Ankaragucu Coach, Mustafa Dalci, unsurprisingly resigned after the match which throws the responsibility onto the backroom staff to prepare the team for their next match at home to Besiktas next Sunday.     Besiktas is undefeated in the league so far and will no doubt be coming to Ankara with all guns blazing and hoping to heap more misery on Ankaragucu.

 

Today, Ankaragucu is propping-up the league alongside Kasimpasa and a long winter of discontent backons   !!!

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim

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