By Richard Beale…
Super League team Cihangir gave Esentepe a football lesson as they virtually dominated this friendly match for the ALİ ŞENKAYALAR MEMORIAL TROPHY. This match has been played annually since 2017 in remembrance of Ali Şenkayalar, a great servant of Cihangir, and this year Esentepe were the team invited to play.
Result: CİHANGİR GSK 4 ESENTEPE KKSK 2 ( Ali Şenkayalar Memorial Trophy)
Wednesday September 1: Cihangir Stadium.
The Cihangir Stadium, which is a lovely stadium, was looking at its best, a sunny day, a lush pitch and a welcoming cooling breeze, a perfect setting which fittingly attracted a large crowd.
The opening 15 minutes were disappointing though with a number of fouls, with Cihangir in control without really threatening.
The home team came close in the 16th minute when Musa shot from outside the box and just cleared a leaping Tuğrul’s goal.
Cihangir were now in their stride over-running Esentepe’s midfield and exerting pressure on their defence. Esentepe were on the back foot and were guilty of giving the ball away on numerous occasions. On the few times they got over the halfway line their attacks were easily dealt with, especially by their powerful centre back Zihni who gave Esentepe’s forward Emrah very little room.
Cihangir are a strong, tall, powerfully built side that break at lightning pace and it was no surprise that a through ball split open Esentepe’s defence and SELÇUK SERGEC lashed the ball past Tuğrul. 1-0.
Şükrü who had come on as an early replacement for triallst Kemal smashed a powerful drive just wide of the Cihangir goal in a rare and sporadic Esentepe attack.
32 minutes another quick through ball caught Esentepe defence wide open on the right and LUKA shot pass Tuğrul. 2-0
It was virtually all one way traffic Ali Öztürk hit a shot from outside of the post that took a deflection and cannoned off Tuğrul’s right hand post.
Esentepe were very fortunate to go in at the break only two goals down. HALF TIME: 2-0
In the first minute of the second half Tuğrul was in action again parrying a fiercely taken free kick from Berkay.
We were then treated to a goal in the 49th minute that would grace any Stadium in the world scored by LUKA who outside the box hit a shot that looked like it was going high over the Esentepe bar until it suddenly dipped hit the underside of the crossbar and went in giving goalkeeper Tuğrul not a chance. 3-0.
Esentepe replaced Tuğrul with Osmond and soon the young goalkeeper was in action bravely diving at the feet of Musa after a lightning Cihangir break from their own penalty area. A minute later the young goalkeeper made a double save in quick succession to deny Ali Öztürk.
LUKA completed his hat trick in the 68th minute turning a cross in at the far post in the 68th minute. 4-0.
With both teams making changes, the tempo of the match changed and Esentepe bravely tried to rescue something out of this match. Eser shot wide in the 75th minute after being set up by Şükrü .
78th minute Esentepe did put the ball in the back of the Cihangir net when a SEMIH ARSLAN free kick from outside the box beat a diving Berken, to score his first goal at senior level. 4-1
84 minutes Esentepe were now making a fist of it. Tuğra from outside the box hit a low drive through a crowd of players that Berken diving to his right pushed away for a corner.
86 minutes and another goal for Esentepe to make the scoreline more respectable came when DENİZ KIBAR turned in a cross to score his first goal since returning back to the club. FULL TIME 4-2.
SUMMING UP: On this evidence Cihangir should be challenging for the Super League title. In LUKA they had the Man of the Match 3 goals and he covered most of the pitch as well. TACETTIN KÖSE ex Esentepe favourite was not far behind him in his new midfield role.
This was a good lesson for Esentepe youngsters, heads didn’t drop, they were simply outclassed.
ESENTEPE TEAM: Tuğrul (Osmond 50) gk; Devran (Emre 68) Gürkan, Nersin, Emek (Eser 68) : İlyas, Huseyin (Tuğra 57), Salih (Semih 57) : Emrah (Deniz 45), Kemal (T) (Şükrü 20), Ege (Okan 68)
