By Richard Beale………..
Esentepe final League match of the season and hopefully League 1 for quite a while, saw them hammered by Doğancı. With Promotion already secured for Esentepe and Doğancı already guaranteed a relegation “Play Out” place, the result was not important and had an end of season holiday feel about it.
Result ; DOĞANCI SK 5 ESENTEPE KKSK 0.
Sunday 6th May, 2018 : K- Pet League 1 : Venue : Lefke 16 Ağustos Stadi.
Doğancı play their home matches at Lefke 16 Ağustos Stadi, this being my first visit to the Stadium, it certainly had a “wow” factor about it. A modern Stadium, with good facilities, floodlights and a Wembley like playing surface.
Esentepe gave first team debuts to 16 years old Hüseyin Bahçeli, Ali Soytürk (19) and reserve Goalkeeper Hüseyin Ikinci (20), and also took the opportunity of giving “fringe” players, Hürkan, Tuğrulsan and Emre Mutlu a run out as well.
The first half of the match was pretty even as both teams stroked the ball around on the lush playing surface.
Doğancı’s Hakan and Gökhan both very alike quick and fast looked dangerous for the home team and debutant Esentepe Goalkeeper Hüseyin had to be alert on a couple of occasions to thwart them.
Esentepe’s Mahmut in the 15th minute put in a 35 yard drive that saw the Doğancı keeper Tünay flying across his goal to cling onto the shot.
Doğancı took the lead in the 38th minute when Salih delivered a fine through ball, cutting Esentepe’s defence in half, finding HAKAN DEMIR who slipped it pass the advancing Hüseyin. 1-0.
Right on whistle, Doğancı should have further increased their lead when Hakan being set up again fired over the bar from a great position. HALF TIME : 1-0
Esentepe youngsters Hüseyin Bahçeci (left/right pic) and Ali Soytürk (middle) in action
The opening 10 minutes of the second half were fairly even, with Esentepe still in with a chance, but their attack lacked potency with lone striker Hürkan lacking support.
In the next 20 minutes Esentepe folded when they were hit by the Hakan and Gökhan storm. They had no answer to these fleet footed terriers as time and time again their defence was torn to shreds.
57 mins : Comical defending by Nersin, Ali and Goalkeeper Hüseyin who all were guilty of poor hasty clearances allowed HAKAN DEMIR to score his second. 2-0
Hakan and Gökhan combined again and somehow Gokhan managed to scoop the ball over the Esentepe bar from around 2 yards out.
66 mins : Goalkeeper Hüseyin came racing out to clear the ball and only succeeded in finding GÖKHAN EMREÇİKSİN who simply had to look up and roll the ball into an unguarded goal. 3-0.
74 mins : Esentepe heads had really dropped now and GOKHAN EMREÇİKSİN, outstripped Mahmut on the right, before cutting inside and putting in a powerful shot that Goalkeeper Hüseyin could only parry into the net . 4-0.
Doğancı were rampant, all Esentepe wanted was to hear the final whistle and head for the bars and beaches.
82 mins : The lively Hakan waltzed around a static Esentepe defence, before setting up substitute BURÇ EĞILMEZ only a few yards out, with no challenge coming in he scored easily. 5-0.
Esentepe sent on 15 year old Şükrü, son of the Esentepe President Cemal Erdoğan in the 70th minute and the youngster put in Esentepe’s only chance of the half, firing just over.
Doğancı must have felt sorry for Esentepe in the final 5 minutes, as substitute Ahmet had two golden opportunities to score a consolation goal. Firstly being put through with only the keeper Tünay to beat, he shot straight at him. And then right on the final whistle he was clear again, one on one with the keeper, lobbed the ball over the advancing Tünay but also the bar, which about sums up Esentepe’s day. FULL TIME SCORE : 5-0.
SUMMING UP : None of the “debutants” and youngsters let themselves or Esentepe down. They were simply outgunned by a Doğancı team that were more experienced and committed on the day, It was the right time and moment to give these youngsters a run out, as next season in the Super League their chances will be extremely limited. On this form Doğancı should have no problem in retaining their League 1 status through the relegation “Play Outs”
For Esentepe it has been a remarkable and amazing season, who would have thought back in September they would be promoted to the Super League.
For now it is time to celebrate and enjoy ourselves. If Esentepe intend to stay in the top League, then there is a lot of thinking, planning and rebuilding to do, but that’s in the near future, not now I need a drink!
Video highlights of the Esentepe KKSK v Doğancı SK match by Graham Procter-Brown
