By Richard Beale….
Literally, a storm both of weather and football were raged on 1461 İskele as the heavens and Kaplica conjured up a gale of biblical proportions that rained down on the Akova Eray Vudalı Stadium.
Results: KURSTAN 1461 İSKELE TRABZONSPOR 2 KAPLICA KARADENIZ 61 SK 5
Sunday, March 19: Iktisatbank BTM League 1 Red Group : Akova Eray Vudalı Stadium
Never have I seen a football match played in the most horrendous conditions and I think the first thing we must do is applaud both teams, the officials and of course the spectators who braved the elements.
Luckily the surface at Akova is synthetic if it was played on grass the match would have been abandoned.
The match started in bright sunshine though in the distance rain laden black clouds were building accompanied by the odd rumble of thunder.
The opening minutes were calm enough with the home team enjoying more of the territory and taking the lead in the 13th minute. Kaplıca rallied and equalised in the 29th minute from the penalty spot.
Literally, the game erupted in the 41st minute when Kaplıca were reduced to 10 men when Mehmet Sülün was involved in a clash with Çağrı Mert. Mehmet got up and pushed the Iskele player to the ground, who fell theatrically leaving referee Olgun Canık no option but to furbish the red card. Though this was the correct decision the Gods in the sky were not pleased, unleashing their fury on the players below with hailstones, torrential rain, thunder, and fork lightning. This carried on for the rest of the half, during the interval as spectators sought what cover they could,
I was stranded on the pitch, they lock the gates to keep out the fans or keep in the players in I sought desperately to look for refuge. I managed to find a kind of half-a-bus shelter, made of metal which was little bit scary with fork lightning about !
Kaplıca Goalkeeper Kurşat must have fancied not getting wet and he was replaced at the break by Yasin Okur. (Kurşat collided with a post just before the break and was injured)
The match restarted with the same horrendous conditions with Kaplıca having a strong breeze behind.
Though down to 10 men I have never seen such a one-sided match as the visitors ran in 4 goals and could have scored more but for some fine saves from the Iskele goalkeeper Mehmet Dağal. The referee stopped the match around the 60th-minute mark with thunder, lightning all round, and the monsoon of rain, players, and officials seeking shelter in the replacement benches. I continued to watch the match and sat on the floor under my bus-like shelter, I got wet but not saturated.
After a 10-minute break, the referee restarted the match in the same conditions with Kaplıca continuing to dominate though İskele managed to score a late consolation goal.
For the first time maybe players were glad to be replaced and seek the dressing rooms though their substitutes wouldn’t be too happy in coming on.
Under the new management of Mürsel Aluntaş, this was a vital and must-win for Kaplıca as they re-join the pack seeking a promotion play-off place.
MEN OF THE MATCH – The match officials for getting this match finished.
MAN OF THE MATCH : ERAY GENÇ – scored a goal, and assisted in another was all over the pitch just like the rain.
GOALS ;
13 mins: Kaplıca dealt poorly with a cross from the left failing to clear their lines, YUNUS ALMAS first attempt was blocked but he hammered home his second attempt. 1-0
29 mins: Kaplıca Ogün was upended in the box —KAĞAN GÖRNEÇLİ scoring from the penalty. 1-1
49 mins: From a Kağan corner from the left Kaplıca leading goalscorer DENİZ SERT headed past the goalkeeper. 1-2
51 mins: OGÜN DURSUN scoring direct from a free kick some 35 yards out, the ball skidded off the wet surface, though goalkeeper Mehmet might have been distracted by Deniz lunging at the ball. 1-3
62 mins: Another Kağan corner this time headed home by ERAY GENÇ 1-4
70 mins: Eray breaking up an attack in his own half sent a superb through ball into the path of Deniz, as the goalkeeper came out the ball rebounded to İBRAHİM ÇELİK to slot home 1-5
80 mins: A late consolation goal for İskele after a good build-up on the left, ÇAĞRI MERT AÇIKGÖZ shot gathered pace off the wet surface and sped past Yasin. 2-5
