By Richard Beale….
Esentepe under 21 team deservedly put runaway League leaders Gençlik Gücü to the sword pulling off a convincing victory.
Result: ESENTEPE KKSK U21 3 CHINA BAZAAR GENÇLİK GÜCÜ U 21 0.
Saturday 5th March: AKSA U21 League 1: Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium.
With this win, second place Esentepe reduced the gap to 11 points but Gücü will still finish as deserved Champions, the lead is too big. Esentepe though have restored pride and gained revenge for their earlier 2-0 defeat against Gücü last October.
Esentepe fielded their strongest available X1 for this match defender DEVRAN GÜNES who collected 4 yellow cards for the first team is allowed to play in the Under 21 League. Also included in the starting lineup was first team squad player EGE CAN AÇIKPORTALI.
Esentepe never allowed their illustrious opponents to settle, chasing, harrying, in their faces from the kickoff.
In the 9th minute Esentepe top goals corer DURSUN ALI KARAL playing in the unusual position for him at left back, scored direct from a long free kick that deceive the G. Güçü defence and goalkeeper.
Captain Şahın Erdoğan increased their lead in the 39th minute heading in a corner.
Esentepe should have scored a third goal right at the end of the first half, when Ege Can made a mess of a Şahin cross.
Gücü rarely threatened the Esentepe goal, with goalkeeper Uluş virtually a spectator. Birthday boy Halit Çulcu and Devran were given Gücü top scorer Yaşar Özer very little space.
Midfielders Dincer Ali, Mahmut Şen and Mehmet Ali Arikan were controlling the midfield as Gücü were left to chase shadows.
G, Gücü started the second half much better at last putting the Esentepe defence under some sort of pressure, they hit the outside of the post with one attack.
Any chance of them getting back into the match was extinguished when following a Dursun cross Ahmet Sami attempting a clearance only managed to clear it onto his hand and EGE CAN AÇIKPORTALI was on hand to convert the penalty.
FULL TIME SCORE: 3-0.
Man of the Match: On his 19th birthday HALİT ÇULCU the birthday boy had a strong match at the heart of the Esentepe defence snuffing out any Güçü threat.
