Stalemate in Ankara: İçel İdmanyurdu Spoils Demirspor’s Climb, Ends Months-Long Point Drought

The darkening skies over Ankara witnessed a curious twist of fate Sunday, as İçel İdmanyurdu Spor—rooted to the bottom of the 2. Lig with six consecutive defeats—walked away with their first point of the campaign, frustrating an upwardly mobile Ankara Demirspor in a tense, wind-swept 0-0 draw that left both sides pondering what might have been.

For the hosts, there was disappointment. Ankara Demirspor, buoyed by a dramatic 4-3 victory at Hekimoğlu Trabzon just a week ago, began the day in eighth place—inside touching distance of the promotion scrap. But against an opponent that had shipped 15 goals in its last three outings and tasted nothing but defeat since the opening whistle of the season, a goalless draw on home soil will sting, especially given the misshapen rhythm of a match that never escaped its own nervous energy.

A Match Defined by Narrow Margins

While the final scoreline read 0-0, the afternoon’s narrative was anything but uneventful. Demirspor’s attack, which had found the net four times in Trabzon, was met by a surprisingly organized İçel back line—a unit that showed scant evidence of such discipline during recent thumpings, including a 0-6 humiliation against Mardin BB.

The defining moment arrived midway through the second half. In the 72nd minute, Ankara Demirspor believed the breakthrough had come—only for the referee to rule out the apparent winner, the specifics of which remain shrouded in confusion. Whether it was offside, a foul, or some other infringement, the home crowd's cries of anguish echoed around the otherwise reserved venue. The incident set the tone for a closing chapter in which Demirspor pressed relentlessly, but never truly looked like breaching the visitors’ stubborn resolve.

İçel, for their part, played with the defiance of a side determined to avoid the ignominy of an unwanted record. Goalkeeper and back four stood tallest, repelling Demirspor’s direct approach as the minutes slipped away. Even when the hosts introduced fresh legs in search of a late winner, İçel’s commitment to the cause never wavered.

Context: A Fork in the Road for Both Clubs

For Ankara Demirspor, the draw marks a troubling stutter. Their recent run—three wins and three draws from their first seven matches—had fostered optimism of a playoff push, yet today’s missed opportunity raises questions about their ability to break down deep-lying defences when the stakes are highest.

Consider their last five: a thrilling comeback at Hekimoğlu Trabzon, a gritty 1-1 tie with Yeni Malatyaspor, and a narrow 1-0 escape over Somaspor had shown resilience and a flair for late drama. Yet, the laboured defeats to Aliağa FAŞ and now the dropped points against İçel point to inconsistency, especially in front of an expectant home support.

Standing on 12 points from seven games, Demirspor remain in eighth place, but the logjam above is tight. Any faltering at this stage risks seeing them marooned in mid-table—a fate familiar, but unwelcome, for a club with ambitions of promotion.

İçel İdmanyurdu’s struggles, by contrast, have been season-defining. Coming into Ankara, İçel had lost all seven of their matches, conceding 15 goals and scoring none in their last five alone. Today’s clean sheet and solitary point represent a small but significant step; the relief among players and staff at the final whistle was palpable. Now on one point, they remain anchored to 16th, but have halted the freefall—if only for a moment.

Key Moments and Notable Absences

While neither side saw red on a largely disciplined afternoon, the absence of goals belied several flashpoints. Demirspor’s best chance, the disallowed effort in the 72nd, was quickly followed by a surge of attacking substitutions as the home side gambled for victory. Yet İçel, perhaps for the first time all season, found the collective belief necessary to see their task through.

For İçel, the draw is a glimmer—proof that their defensive frailties can be solved, at least temporarily. For Demirspor, it is an exercise in frustration, their attacking output dried to a trickle against the league’s leakiest defence.

What’s Next: Defining Weeks Ahead

The stalemate sends Demirspor into their next fixtures knowing that consistency will be the currency of promotion. The tools are there—a side capable of explosive attacks as witnessed last week—but so, too, are the questions of mentality and creativity when expectation weighs heavily.

İçel’s winless run now becomes a search for confidence. Their campaign, once in freefall, now has at least a foundation. The draw in Ankara will feel, to many in İçel’s camp, like a victory of sorts. But points must become wins if they are to clamber out of danger.

No one left the stadium in Ankara with illusions of a classic. But for İçel, it was a day of small mercies at long last. For Demirspor, a necessary reminder: in the 2. Lig, nothing comes easy—least of all against a side with nothing left to lose.