GENCLERBIRLIGI – FIGHTING SPIRIT NOT ENOUGH !!

 

 

Greetings Kankas and Kankies.

 

In a match played at a fast and furious pace (for the most part), Gencler’s well known fighting spirit was not quite enough to overcome a slick Rize team who are now making a serious challenge for Samsun’s top spot in the league.

 

With 5 goals scored in the 1^st half, it was an end-to-end match in a true sense, but Rize always looked the more dangerous and likely winners, and so it played out.

 

Rizespor             5                    GENCLERBIRLIGI              3

 

Team – Philipp, Yasin, Thomas, Alperen, Muhammed, Abdullah, Ugur, Ilker, Sekou, Mete Kaan and Tiago

 

Substitutes – Souleymane, Akabueze, Khadfi, Enes and Ivan

 

The match was only 6 minutes old when Ankaragucu olde-boy, Sinan, opened the scoring for Rize,    A free kick on the right was sent into the centre which was headed to the back post.   The ball was sent back into the centre where Sinan out-jumped everyone to head in with one of his trade mark headed goals which we have witnessed a good few times when he wore the blue and yellow   !!!

 

25 minutes in and the equaliser came against the run of play at that time.    Yasin had a throw-in on the left and then the cross was made into the box to Mete Kaan who tried a back-heel to deceive the goalkeeper, but the ball rebounded off the goalkeeper to Mete Kaan and he sent his shot in, despite an attempted clearance by a defender on the goal line.

 

5 minutes later and Rize was back in front after a long ball was sent over from the left to the far post where John Mary had peeled away from the Gencler defenders and headed inside the right post.

 

John Mary almost added another 5 minutes later but his header hit the post and was cleared.

 

One minute into time added on in the 1^st half and Mete Kaan with some fine footwork on the right crossed for Muhammed to nip in ahead of a defender and shoot inside the left post for another equaliser.

 

5 minutes into time added on and Rize stormed back into the lead.     A free kick on the right was sent into the centre and a Rize attacker headed the ball down for Bolasie to guide the ball in a split second ahead of Philipp’s attempted save.

 

The pace of the match didn’t let-up with only one minute played in the 2^nd half and Rize increased their winning margin to 2 goals.      A fast break down the right by Amilton who then powered his way into the box on the right, and from an acute angle sent in a shot which was deflected into the top left by Philipp’s leg as he attempted to save.

 

5 minutes later and after another Rize attack, the referee was directed to VAR where he saw a handball by Thomas in the box before the attack was cleared.    Penalty   !        Bolasie sent his shot down the centre with Philipp diving to his right.

 

3 goals adrift, but Gencler wasn’t quite finished yet.    5 minutes later there was another penalty at the other end when a Gencler player was brought down in the box and the referee had no need to consult VAR for this one.    Abdullah made no mistake when he sent his shot inside the left post under the diving body of the goalkeeper.

 

Half way through the 2^nd half and unsurprisingly the pace of the match slowed down with Rize seemingly content with their 2 goal cushion.

 

Despite their heroic efforts, Gencler is still stuck in 2^nd bottom position in the league, but only 2 points behind Erzurum who will be playing Bandirma tomorrow.     So, apart from Denizlispor who look doomed to relegation, the fight goes on  !!

 

Next up for Gencler is a home match against Bodrumspor next Friday 28^th.       Bodrum currently sit in 5^th top position in the league and are still in the hunt for a play-off position, so they will not be an easy nut for Gencler to crack.

 

As always, watch this space for the outcome.

 

All the best from Eski Kanka Jim