YALOVA SK 1 ESENTEPE KKSK - Pictures courtesy of Richard Beale
Northern Cyprus Football
Esentepe “ROLLOVA” Yalova
News report from Rich’s Sport………
By Graham Brown and Richard Beale…….
Result : YALOVA SK 1 ESENTEPE KKSK 3.
Sunday December 6 2015: K-Pet League 1: Güzelyurt Zafer Stadium.
Yalova colours : Yellow shirts with a blue trim, yellow shorts. Blue socks.
Esentepe colours : Red and white check shirts, white shorts/socks.
Weather : Dry and sunny.
Chelsea 0 – Bournemouth 1, Newcastle 2 Liverpool 0 may have been shock results in the English Premier League, but Esentepe would have registered 10 on the Richter Scale as they produced a result that shook the Football world. High flying Yalova were shot down in flames as Esentepe produced a gutsy battling performance to help ease their relegation worries. Yalova themselves did not disgrace themselves as they were down to 10 men after Azat was sent off after only 14 minutes, and they only threw the towel in during the last 20 minutes.
Since the last time I visited the Zafer Stadium they had made major improvements, with new entrance gates, toilets, refreshment hut and the pitch is in perfect condition. Eight locals and 5 ex-Pats, made the 1hr 15 minute journey to Guzelyurt from Esentepe to swell the crowd to around 100.
Esentepe made 2 changes to the side that beat Lapta last week, with Eser and Salih not playing due to work commitments, being replaced by veteran defenders Berkan and Bariş.
FIRST HALF :
A quiet start to the game with Yalova generally on top and Esentepe keeper Sergen dealing comfortably with long shots from Muammer and Buğra. The match took a decisive turn to Esentepe in the 14th minute, when Yalova were reduced to 10 men after Azat was sent off following an off the ball incident. A Yalova corner was partially cleared in a melee of players Esentepe’s Nersin fell to the ground clutching his face. This led to a fracas of players, confronting each other with Esentepe’s keeper Sergen particularly angry. He had to be physically restrained by teammates and Coaching staff. Referee Irmak Emin dismissed Azat, but the brawling continued for at least 5 minutes afterwards. I was later told that Nersin took a head butt from Azat in the face. Esentepe keeper Sergen was yellow carded. The Yalova supporters were themselves incensed at the “injustice” and vented their anger at the referee and goalkeeper as they felt Sergen should be dismissed as well.
Being one man short did not appear to affect Yalova as they continued to spray the ball around and their Captain Mithat got the wrong side of Nersin to send a header into the grateful arms of Serken.
Serken was brought into action again in the 38th minute diving to save another long shot from Yusuf.
Yalova came close to scoring in the 40th minute when Mithat and Yusuf combined to set up a chance for Mithat, but Serken sensing the danger came out quickly from his goal to smother the shot.
Esentepe with just Başak upfront continued to struggle, as being the lone striker he was often isolated and the ball was given back to Yalova time and time again.
Against the run of play in the 43rd minute Esentepe took a surprise lead following a free kick after Burak had been fouled on the right side of Yalova’s area. Umar took the kick, drilling the ball hard into the near post, where it was flicked back by İlyas eluding goalkeeper İrfan who appeared unsighted, the ball looked to be going in before BAŞAK following up made sure and prodded the ball home. 0-1.
As the whistle went, the Police escorted the Officials off to their changing rooms and goalkeeper Serken needed a Police escort as the Yalova fans vented their anger at him near the players’ entrance. HALF-TIME : 0-1.
SECOND HALF :
Yalova continued to press and it took another good save from Serkan, when Ali Özbahar hit a free kick through a crowd of players and Serkan seeing it late at the last moment managed to grab it.
The 10 men of Yalova were still looking the better team, Buğra hit a fierce shot straight at Serkan, and then Yusuf was allowed to run unchallenged, before his shot was deflected just wide of the far post for a corner. Esentepe were defending stoutly especially Captain Berkan and fellow central defender Nersin were outstanding.
Esentepe were relying on breakaways and in the 65th minute following a Yalova corner that was cleared. Kaan led a charge up field in a 4 on 3 situation, he passed to Mahmut who hit a powerful shot that was parried one handed by goalkeeper İrfan.
The second goal Esentepe desperately were seeking came in the 67th minute, where Başak holding up well passed to Kaan on the right, the midfielder looked to have dwelt on the ball too long as he was closed down by defenders, but he put in a superb cross finding the unmarked BURAK who prodded it into the net. 0-2.
At long last Yalova appeared to be running out of steam as Esentepe started making use of their extra man, using the wings to stretch Yalova.
Esentepe’s 3rd goal came in the 85th minute when Emek, wide on the left, did well to outstrip his marker and pull across back to KAAN standing just outside the area, who shot and beat İrfan, as he was closed down by two defenders. 0-3.
Lots of the Yalova supporters were now leaving the ground and most of them missed Yalova’s consolation goal in injury time, when substitute Salih allegedly upended Mustafa, and the referee, harshly I thought, awarded a penalty which was converted by Ali Özbahar. FULL TIME : 1-3
SUMMING UP :
Not many teams will come to Yalova and come away with the points. They are a big physical team, well organised and even with 10 men, they were very impressive. The sending off was obviously a turning point in the match. I predicted a loss for Esentepe before the match, and they put in a gutsy ‘backs to the wall” performance, with every member of the 
team contributing.
Serkan in goal put in his best performance of the season, looking very calm and assured. Berkan and Nersin formed a solid barrier in front of him. The midfield all worked hard with KAAN particularly outstanding, holding onto the ball scoring one goal and creating another.
ESENTEPE TEAM : (4-4-1-1), sub appearances in brackets marks out of 10 ).
Serkan 8 : Bariş 6, Berkan 7, Nersin 8, Emek 7 : Umar 6, İlyas 6, (Tugay 88 mins), Mahmut 7, Burak 7 : KANN 8.5 (Salih 86 mins) : Başak 6 :
Replacements not used :
Kürşat (gk), Emrah, Aziz, Mehmet.
K-PET LEAGUE 1 TABLE BOTTOM PLACES.
Pos. Pts.
09-Baf Ülkü Yurdu 14
10-ESENTEPE 13
11-Hamitköy 12
12-Gorneç 10
13-Gönyeli 9
14-Lapta 4
ESENTEPE LEAGUE SEASON 2015-16 :
26-09-15 : Gençlk Gücü A 2-2 Başak, Emek (pen)
03-10-15 : DENIZLI H 0-0
10-10-15 : Hamitköy A 2-2 Kaan, Eser
17-10-15 : KARŞIYAKA H 0-3
25-10-15 : Düzkaya A 1-2 Kaan
31-10-15 : GIRNE HALK EVI H 0-0
07-11-15 : Göçmenköy A 1-2 Eser
14-11-15 : GÖRNEÇ H 3-2 Firat og, Eser, Emrah
21-11-15 Gönyeli A 1-2 Emek (p)
28-11-15 : LAPTA H 2-1 Umar, Kaan
06-12-15 : Yalova A 3-1 Başak. Burak. Kaan
ESENTEPE LEAGUE APPEARANCES AND GOALS (sub in brackets g= goal).
11: Emek 2g(2pen) : Mahmut,: 10: Kaan 4g, Burak 1g, İlyas (1), Nersin : 8: Umar (2) 1g Serkan (2), Berkan (2), Vurkan : 6 : Eser (4) 3g , Başak (1) 2g, Salih (1) : Bariş 3(2) -, Tuğrul 3- : Emrah 2(6) 1g: Mehmet 1(5) – : Muhammed (4), Aziz (2), Aras (1), Tugay (1) :
ESENTEPE UNDER 19 TEAM.
Result : YALOVA SK 3 ESENTEPE 1.
Esentepe’s young team fine run recently came to a halt as they were well beaten by runaway leaders Yalova. EMRE SOYTÜRK scored Esentepe’s consolation goal in the last minute.
ESENTEPE FORTHCOMING MATCHES :
Sat Dec12- Away- Baf Ülkü Yurdu- kick off 2-00pm- Güzelyurt Zafer Stadium.
Sun Dec 20- HOME – Dumlupinar- kick off
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