By Richard Beale…..
Another magnificent performance by this young Esentepe team in this first Promotion “Play Off” match saw them completely steamroll over Yalova, whose chances of promotion have now been completely extinguished.
Result: ESENTEPE KKSK 5 YALOVA SK 1
Wednesday July 22, 2020: K-Pet League Promotion Play Off : Lapta Şht Şevket Kadir Stadium.
Another “perfect ” team performance easily saw off Yalova in this initial playoff match. The 4 teams in the Play-Off are Girne Halk Evi, (GHE), L. Gençler Biriliği, Esentepe and Yalova with the latter 2 teams being the minnow teams, GHE are the firm favourites for promotion despite losing 2-3 to Gençler Birliği in their opening match.
The top team in the playoff league gains promotion to the Super League, straightforward enough but this is Cyprus, in the TRNC things are done differently here!. The teams get points to start the playoffs depending on where they finished in the League, GHE finished 3rd so they get 4 points, Esentepe finished 4th so they get 3 points, etc, etc. I can understand that, but the Federation then take into account the results, goal difference in the matches played between the 4 clubs over the course of the season, it’s so complicated, for 12 years I am still unable to understand it.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS ESENTEPE CELEBRATİONS
Anyway, GHE will probably go up as they started the playoffs on 31 points and still are on 31 points as they lost, followed by Esentepe on 28 points. (see the table in the photos). In theory, GHE need one win to go up and they play Yalova on Sunday who have nothing left to play for.
In fairness, GHE are better equipped to face the challenges of the Super League than Esentepe who are still financially trying to recover from their sole season in the Super League last year.
Whatever happens, this has been a brilliant season for Esentepe they are a club on the up, with the right blend of youth and exciting youngsters, with seasoned experienced players, managed by an enthusiastic Coach – watch this space for the future!
On a very hot July evening where the temperature didn’t appear to drop throughout the duration of the game, there were sparse spectators, the majority from Esentepe to watch this match.
Yalova in Blue and Yellow are outpaced by Esentepe
This game was done and dusted in the opening 20 minutes as Yalova had no answer to Esentepe’s opening salvo which saw them storm into a 3 goal lead. Yalova were a spent force after that and they became disconsolate and seemed to accept their fate.
Yalova are a team of good and skilful players but they had no answer to Esentepe’s quick thrusts and breaks as Esentepe time and time again beat the offside trap. All of Esentepe forwards Kaan, Şükrü, Hüseyin and Eray are quick, all have the ability either to beat players or hold the ball up Yalova were left to chase shadows. Esentepe should have gone into the break at least 5 goals to the good and should have finished the match on 8 goals such was their dominance. In midfield Yakup and Emre, worked tirelessly, they provided the ammunition to the forwards. Goalkeeper Onur apart from dealing with one or two crosses and some corners had little to do. In front of him, the twin sentinels of Nersin and Şahın closed down quickly any Yalova threat, which gave license to the full backs Mahmut and Uğurcan to overlap and join in the attacks again overrunning Yalova’s defence.
Esentepe have played Yalova twice now in a matter of weeks, twice outplaying them, Yalova as their results in the League have shown, are capable of much more.
Esentepe’s next journey in this epic roller coaster of a season will be against L. Gençler Birliği on Sunday, Gençler have completed the double over Esentepe this season winning 1-0 in Iskele and 5-3 at Esentepe.
This Esentepe team fear no one, it will be Gençler who will feel the pressure, Esentepe are the underdogs, how we like it, on Sunday what will be, will be.
ESENTEPE GOALSCORERS : ERAY (11mins), ŞÜKRÜ (14), HÜSEYİN DEYNEKLİ (20), YAKUP (57), ORHAN (92).
YALOVA – AHMET HASAN (70)
Man of the Match KANN GÖRNEÇLİ- An outstanding match – assisting with a couple of goals, he deserved a goal himself. He held the ball up well, beat players on either side of the flanks this was much like the “old Kaan” before his serious knee injury.
