By Richard Beale……
Group 2 League leaders Karadeniz 61 ran riot in Iskele putting Ardahan to the sword, keeping them on course to be Group winners and thus qualify for the promotion “playoffs”.
Result : ARDAHAN SD 2 KARADENIZ 61 SB 7.
Tuesday, August 18: BTM League 2: İskele Cumhuriyet Stadium.
Before the match on this very hot August evening, I was suitably refreshed with an ice cold Carlsberg and a chicken doner kebab from one of the local hostelries. A crowd of well over 100 were at the large Cumhuriyet Stadium, Black Sea music was blaring and the Karadeniz supporters who are from Kaplıca were already in a party mood. With the recent outbreak of COVID in İskele, all of the Police on duty wore gloves and masks and also a number of spectators dıd as well.
Red hot leaders Karadeniz were in red hot form, Coach Sebahattin has assembled a very useful team and by the 21st minute, they had stormed into a two goal lead. Ardahan were 3 goals down at the break and were woeful in the first half and certainly were given a rollocking by their Coach during the interval.
GOALS, GOALS – left ANIL SARIMUSTAFAOĞLU scores Karadeniz second goal and right MEHMET TURGUT (TOTTİ) adds a thrid goal
This seems to have no effect as the leaders scored a further two goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Fair play to Ardahan they pulled 2 goals back, to give them some heart and for the first time in the match, Karadeniz looked vulnerable. However, being the team they are they rallied and scored a further 2 goals to finish as 7-2 winners.
Ardahan may have been on the end of a hammering but credit to them they remained competitive and combative right to the end.
As mentioned before Karadeniz have a good side with players of the calibre of Mehmet Turgut a proven goalscorer over the years, Captain Oğun Dursun operating on the right wing has always been a very good player that should be playing in a higher grade of football than the BTM League 2. With full back Ekrem Çakıral attacking at every opportunity, Karadeniz were always going forward. In the rare Ardahan attacks, these were mostly repelled against the powerful ex Geçitkale stopper Koray Keleş. I thought Karadeniz best player was the guy with a long surname ANIL SARIMUSTAFAOĞLU who just pipped Oğun as “Man of the Match” – this Paul Merson look alike played like him as well very skilful and comfortable on the ball.
For Ardahan they look like a team that are “Sunday” footballers, a number of beer bellies on show and one player with long hair looks more like a member of a heavy metal rock band !. Still, any player that plays in this heat for probable peanuts has my total respect. Goalkeeper Özkan Emre cannot be faulted for any of the goals, indeed he made some fine saves to keep the score into single figures. I was impressed by 19 year old Rıdvan Atlı at right back a youngster that shows promised. Ex Esentepe and Tatlısu player KUBİLAY ÇIL was their best player, always a talented footballer he was called upon to show his skills at left midfield and then in central defence due to injuries.
GOAL SCORERS : ARDAHAN – ARKİN KILAVUZ (63), TURAN EVRAN (pen, 68)
KARADENIZ 61 – OĞUN DURSUN (6, 72 pen), ANIL SARIMUSTFAOLĞU (19), MEHMET TURGUT (41), KORAY KELEŞ (51 pen), ENGİN KELEŞ (59), ÖNDER EMRE (89).
