it was all looking very depressing with besiktas 2-0 up, looking like they were going to score more and a bit over half an hour left. lucky i didn't leave as the ending was a cracker.
besiktas 2 - 2 genclerbirligi
a couple of years ago we were at the red lion club and it was spine who decided he would stay there rather then head off to watch the match. he missed jedinak scoring against fenerbahce from a freekick. last night it was flying dutchman kanka who stayed at the red lion. he missed jedinak scoring again from a freekick. this time against besiktas. who is going to miss out next time?
things certainly didn't start out well. besiktas were all over us. once again it was keeper who had to do a lot of work and it was only a matter of time before we cracked. besiktas opened the scoring in almost a replay of the goal we conceded against kayseri last week. a player near the line passed it back to a besiktas player all on his own right in front of goal. sloppy marking that one.
the second besiktas goal came from another mistake. this time it was jedinak who realised to late to go up for a header. the besiktas player got there first and our keeper had no chance.
the five or six besiktas fans in the pub were in good spirits while the gencler fans, about 30 of us, were in our normal depressed state.
then we got a free kick about 30 metres out and seemingly impossible to score from. but good 'ol jedinak smashed it to the right of the wall and into the top of the net. absolutely brilliant freekick.
we were playing much better than we had but it still didn't look likely that we would score but then we had a counter attacking chance and pektemek found himself one-on-one with the keeper. another great positioned shot and it was 2-2. shouting and chants from us gencler fans in the beer bus and finally peep...peep. it was over. a great result, especially when you consider that we had a total of two shots on target... both of them goals.
there was a bit of handbags at the end with a couple of ankaragucu fans. i have no idea what happened but we scarpered out of there before the cops showed up.
back to the red lion club and celebratory beers with flying dutchman kanka and other friends.
this thursday we have the all important turkish cup semi-final second leg against istanbul bbs. i'll be out of town but flying dutchman kanka will be there (and reporting). fingers crossed we see them off and then it will be off to kayseri for the final (some time in late may) where we will probably be facing besiktas.
edit: for another perspective check out jeremy's blog piece on the match
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