GENCLERBIRLIGI .........and ......... CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED !!!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

There was no Christmas cheer in Adapazari yesterday as Gencler failed in their endeavours to bring at least one point back to Ankara to lift spirits within the Club.   All they received were handshakes, which doesn’t really help their current predicament of propping up the league   !!

 

Sakarya’s 70% possession in the match is perhaps misleading due to their annoying tactic of playing a slow and ponderous approach continually moving the ball from left to right and then right to left.     Gencler, on the other hand, preferred the more direct approach, which although the more ‘spectator friendly’ didn’t reap the rewards that it should have.

 

There was about 50 Gencler supporters in the away end of the impressive Sakarya Stadium, but unsurprisingly they were drowned out by the large and vociferous Sakarya support.

 

Sakarya                2                                 GENCLERBIRLIGI           1

 

Team – Adiyaman, Mert, Metehan, Abdullah, Byelyayev, Huseyincan, Gokhan, Ataberk, Baris, Altiparmak and Aksel

 

Substitutes – Kagan, Baran, Seyit and Eralp

 

The match finally came alive after 15 minutes when a Sakarya corner on the right was only cleared to a Sakarya attacker just outside the box.     He sent the ball back to the right and in it came again to the centre to the feet of Kabongo whose shot was parried by Adiyaman straight back to Kabongo who made no mistake with his second effort.

 

Sakarya’s lead was short lived.      10 minutes later the equaliser arrived and it was a well constructed and executed goal.    Byelyayev made the crucial pass just outside the box on the left to Baris who had continued his run inside the box.    He then curled the ball around the goalkeeper and into the top right for a superb goal.

 

Gencler had two more opportunities to take the lead before the half time whistle.  The first saw the industrious Byelyayev showing great skill along the left touchline, but his excellent cross to Baris was blasted well over the bar.     Then Byelyayev had an opportunity himself just outside the box on the right, but he screwed his shot well past the left post.

 

Into the 2^nd half and Sakarya almost went ahead again 5 minutes in when Adiyaman made a crucial save at the near post from a goal bound shot.

 

15 minutes later it was the Sakarya goalkeeper to save Gokhan’s goal bound shot.

 

15 minutes later and Adiyaman to the rescue again with a save from a goal bound header just outside the 6 yard box.

 

With the match drifting towards the final whistle and only 10 minutes to go, I was thinking that Gencler might snatch one point which I suppose would have been a fair reflection on the whole match.     However, Metehan had other ideas after a ‘rush of blood to the head’   !!

 

A Sakarya attack down the left wing and the ball was crossed into the centre.     Metehan was first to it and his diving powerful header went screaming inside the left post with Adiyaman static.    A fantastic ‘own goal’ which belonged in the predatory striker category   !!!

 

There is a last chance for Santa Claus to reward Gencler next Sunday (Christmas Day) when they will be a home to mid-table Bandirma, which is the final match at the half way point in the league, and also the last match before the 3 weeks Winter Break.

 

Bandirma has only lost 3 matches this season so it will be another difficult nut for Gencler to crack.    Bandirma has a match against high flying Pendik later today, so that might be 4   ??!!

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim