BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR ESENTEPE YOUNGSTERS

By Richard Beale….

League leaders Esentepe suffered a shock defeat at the hands of mid-table Girne Halk Evi (GHE) to end their unbeaten run of 6 matches.

Result: ESENTEPE KKSK U21 0 GIRNE HALK EVİ U21 2

Sunday December 10 : AKSA U21 League 1 : Esentepe Erdal Barut Stadium

It was indeed a “bad day at the office” for the youngsters, they never got going it was a flat performance, too many players having an “off day”. Football is like that, they will bounce back and come again, take nothing away from GHE they made life difficult for Esentepe.

Esentepe fielded the same team that had taken them to the top of the table but the spark was missing in this match, I have never known Coach Zeki Kaşifoğlu to be so vocal and frustrated.

Esentepe started well enough Dursun Ali heading just over a Dinçer corner in the 8th minute and after a period of sustained pressure, Muhammed hit a volley from outside the area in the 15th minute which was fielded by goalkeeper Kaan Aras.

After that, the game deteriorated with Esentepe and GHE creating virtually nothing in the way of goal threat. A minute into injury time of the first half GHE took the lead following a rare mistake from the Esentepe goalkeeper Can who fumbled a cross from the right into the path of MEHMET FIRLAR who had the easy task of poking the ball into an empty net.

HALF TIME SCORE : 0-1

Coach Zeki made a couple of substitutions at the break but this failed to lift Esentepe and they continued to be lethargic, waiting for a spark to ignite them.

GHE looked like the better team Mehmet Yigit in the 60th minute drove a shot just wide of the left-hand post.

Coach Zeki continued to ring the changes but it was having no effect, it was not to be Esentepe’s day.

In a rare goal threat, Dinçer sent a long ball to Dursun Ali whose shot was saved by goalkeeper Kaan Aras in the 68th minute.

I was impressed by GHE forward EMIR ŞEYBAN who was very skillful on the ball with the ability to beat players easily he should have sealed the match for GHE in the 82nd minute. A long ball found him on the right, he cut inside the area and beat Can with an angled shot.

FULL-TIME SCORE : 0-2

ESENTEPE “Man of the Match” – MUHAMMED YASİR BEGEÇ – worked hard for the team, dropping back in midfield to look for the ball.

GHE – “Man of the Match “ _EMIR ŞEYBAN – fully deserved his goal – a very talented player, one for the future.

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