By Richard Beale …….
I should have expected this with two struggling teams, two teams that struggle to score goals, that this match would end in a draw. An awful match served up by both teams who, although too early to press the panic button, are already looking at a hard battle to avoid the drop.
Result: OZANKÖY SK 1 ESENTEPE KKSK 1
Sunday December 8, 2019: K-Pet League 1: Mustafa Özkayım Stadium.
After losing all of their previous 6 home matches, for bottom but one Ozkankoy this was a point gained, maybe a start of their recovery to safety. For 12th place Esentepe this was two points lost, they were expected to win this match, they didn’t so this was their fourth successive draw.
Esentepe gave a first senior start to 18 year old forward, EGE CAN AÇIKPORTAL who has greatly impressed in the Under 21 team. KAAN GÖRNEÇLİ returned after a 3 match absence, though not fully fit Kaan’s extra ability on the ball was much needed. Kaan who now has to do his National Service for a year was made Captain for this match.
A mostly grey cloudy day summed up most of this game. A pretty lifeless first 30 minutes, the only action being Ozanköy’s Darbaz and Mevlüt having shots wide of the Esentepe goal. Esentepe’s only reply was a Kaan snapshot outside the area that brought the Ozanköy keeper Burak into action diving to his right to push the shot away for a corner.
In the 32nd minute Ozanköy took the lead with a goal from Esentepe resident OKAN KIBAR. A Mevlüt corner was met at the far post by Okan who timed his leap over a static Esentepe defence to perfection sending a looping header over Onur and into the roof of the net, despite Hüseyin on the line trying to head it out. 1-0
OKAN (out of picture) header opens the score for Ozanköy and right Esentepe forward ERAY picks the ball up after equalising.
In the last 5 minutes of the half the game came alive, Esentepe had appeals for a hand ball turned down “a la Freds” in the Manchester derby, from a Mustafa header, the ball rebounded to Ege whose closed range shot hit the Ozanköy left hand post. HALF TIME SCORE 1-0.
Esentepe equalised in the 50th minute when good work by Mustafa Günlü on the right, saw him cross the ball to Kaan, whose shot was deflected to ERAY ERGİN who reacted quickly to shoot home. 1-1.
Esentepe were playing much better now, Kaan set up Eray who shot just wide. In the 70th minute Şükrü who had impressed coming on as substitute had a low cross shot deflected for a corner by the diving Burak.
Esentepe continued to press without ever looking likely to score, like the fading light on a winter’s afternoon the match descended into the gloom. FULL TIME SCORE: 1-1
SUMMING UP : A match that both sides could not afford to lose. Esentepe with their previous drawn matches continue to drop points, if they had taken say an extra 4 points from some of those matches Esentepe would not be in a relegation play off place. Full marks for the Coaching staff to give Ege Can a start, he deserved it. The new central defensive partnership of Furkan and Muhammed performed adequately but they were not really tested – not a lot really to take from this forgettable match. Next week’s home match against fellow strugglers Karşıyaka now becomes a must win match.
