By Richard Beale …..
With both teams in mid table this was a good match for me to select and I was rewarded with a very competitive game with the visitors deservedly winning.
Result : GÖRNEÇ KSK 1 MORMENEŞKE GBSK 3
Saturday February 22 : K-Pet League 1 : Görneç Üç Şehitler Stadium.
With the weather in Esentepe being grey and miserable with drizzly rain, I had the choice to stay in and watch Chelsea v Spurs or get out in the fresh air and take in a local football match. I decided to do the latter and record the London “derby” and head over the mountain road to the village of Görneç which is about 30 minutes away.
There can’t be a more beautiful scenic route to go to watch a football match, taking the Antiphonitis road which follows the coast – with the sea to the left and the mountains to the right. Yes, the weather was gloomy but the views are still breathtaking. Once I was over the mountain and on the downward part of the journey the sun had broken through affording beautiful views of the Mesarya Plain. A quick stop in one of my regular Kebab shops in Serdarlı, which as usual was delicious, now suitably re-fuelled it was another mountain road I took to the village of Görneç. By this time the sun was shining brightly, the locals also gave me a warm welcome and I was glad I made the effort.
Health and Safety approved!
On to the match, it was Mormeneşke who were the better team in the first half, their attacks were quick and decisive. Görneç were indebted to their Goalkeeper Ferhat who made a couple of good stops.
Just on the stroke of half time Mormeneşke efforts were rewarded when they took the lead through their very influential midfield player and Captain GÖKAY ALPÇOĞAY. Mormeneşke left winger Emre was instrumental in setting up the goal, making a fast weaving run down the left, cutting along the by line before passing back to Gökay whose shot took a deflection off Besim and into the net, wrong footing the keeper. HALF TIME SCORE : 0-1
It was a different Görneç that started the second half instead of allowing Mormeneşke to come onto them they took the game to the visitors. They enjoyed in the opening 15 minutes their best spell of the match, their reward was to score the equaliser. Mustafa Arnavult set up the goal on the right passing to LEVENT AKÇAĞIL, who looked up and sent in a cracking shot from just outside the box giving the Mormeneşke goalkeeper Gökhan no chance. 1-1
But that was the end of their purple patch as they were caught cold by two goals in two minutes.
Left “Man of the Match” GÖKAY ALPÇOĞAY on the attack
68th minute Görneç defence were wide open as a through ball found ÖMER FURKAN who rounded the keeper to score. 1-2
70th minute the same player scored the third after a fine move involving Emre sending Gökay in along the by line to send over a low cross that was slid in at the far post by Ömer. 1-3
These two goals were killer ones with the home team now looking disconsolate. They lost their goalkeeper Ferhat in the 74th minute who must have been injured and was replaced by Hasan.
The substitute keeper was soon in action making a brilliant point blank range save from Emre.
A very good match was spoilt in the 5 minutes of added on time when Görneç’s Besim was red carded for lashing out with his feet. A couple of minutes later the numbers were evened up as Sami Yahat was sent off which unfortunately led to unsavoury scenes on the pitch between the players. It took a number of minutes for the Police and officials to regain control.
With this the rain had now arrived from Esentepe, thankfully the match had just finished. FULL TIME SCORE 1-3
MAN OF THE MATCH : GÖKAY ALPÇOĞAY – a class act in the middle for Mormeneşke.
