Game Day 12 was quite an entertaining one as Gabriel Slonina kept a clean sheet, Marlon Fossey scored an own goal and Kahveh Zahiroleslam got his first start in weekend Belgian action.
Eupen 2 – 0 Charleroi
Gabriel Slonina was between the sticks for Eupen on Saturday when they welcomed Sporting Charleroi to the German speaking capital of Belgium and sent the Zebras home with nothing to show for their travels. The American keeper kept a clean sheet, making four saves on the night.
The goals came on either side of the intermission with Jan Kral striking in the first half and Kevin Mohwald making his contribution soon after the restart.
Things could have turned out differently because after just 15 minutes, Slonina was picking the ball out of the back of his net. When Nikola Stulic received the ball, he put a move on the Chelsea-loanee and struck it well for the could-have-been opening goal. VAR got involved however and the Serbian was rightly judged to have been in an offsides position.
Charleroi looked the better team and the team most likely to score as the Pandas preferred to defend. But late in the first half Kral got involved in the counter attack, stealing the ball in his defensive half and picking out Isaac Christie-Davies charging forward. The Welshman returned the ball to his Czech colleague and watched him blast it past the Charleroi keeper as the clock struck 45 minutes.
The visitors started the second half on the front foot as they went looking for an immediate equalizer but just the opposite happened. Magnee worked his way into the attacking area and picked out Mohwald, who got his shot off from the middle of the box and placed it into the bottom right hand corner.
The victory allows Eupen to leapfrog their opponents who had been on a three game winning streak.
The Pandas will return to action on Halloween night when they welcome second division KV Oostende to their fair city for a Belgian Cup qualifier. After that it will be back to league action on Friday night when they travel to take on Sint Truiden and Kahveh Zahiroleslam.
Sint-Truiden 2 – 1 Molenbeek
Speaking of the American striker, Zahiroleslam got the nod on Friday night and was given his first start for the Canaries as they shut-out a Molenbeek side that hasn’t register a victory since the middle of September. The 21-year-old Californian put in an 87 minute shift.
This was a game where if you were caught in traffic and didn’t make it to the stadium until the 80th minute, you really didn’t miss anything except for a possible penalty shout. Luis Segovia appeared to handle the ball in his own box but the referee waved it away. After some fan pressure however, VAR had a look and yes indeed, a penalty was awarded. Aboubakary Koita put the ball on the spot and although the keeper guessed the right way, the Belgian hit it with so much power that his eighth goal of the season surely stung the hand of Theo Defourny.
The celebrations were soon subdued however because three minutes into extra time the Brussels boys were celebrating the equalizer. Late sub Xavier Mercier placed the ball in front of goal and Makhtar Gueye held his marker off long enough to turn and get his shot into the back of the net.
Extra time gives and extra time takes away. Thinking that they had salvaged a valuable point late in the game, even later the Canaries took it away with a 96th minute strike. Junior Bocat sent a last gasp cross into the box and his Japanese colleague Daiki Hashioka threw himself at it and headed into the top right corner to break Molenbeek hearts.
STVV will have a midweek Belgian Cup game to contend with when they welcome third division team, Francs Borains to the Stayen before they welcome Eupen to town.
Westerlo 1 – 3 Union St Gilloise
For the first time, both Bryan Reynolds and Griffin Yow were in the starting line-up for Westerlo as they hosted Pro League leaders, USG. Things started off well for the hosts as they took an early lead but things went downhill from there as the Unionists scored three unanswered goals. At the end of the day USG were three points richer. Both Yanks played the full 90 minutes and Yow even added an assist.
Erdon Daci scored his second goal of the season when Westerlo charged forward on the break, going 3 v 3 with the USG defense. Yow played the North Macedonian into the box and watched him tuck the ball into the bottom left hand corner of Anthony Moris’ goal. The scoreboard lit up in the 11th minute.
The hosts held onto the lead until just after the half hour mark. A deflected corner kick landed at the feet of Loic Lapoussin and Madagascan drilled it into the back of the net. And that’s how the half ended.
Ten minutes after the restart Dennis Eckert Avensa puts the visitors ahead and it’s a lead they will not relinquish.
Yow tried to get his side back in the game and in the 69th minute when the team came forward, the American winger cut inside and unleashed a shot that curled towards the far post but ended up on the wrong side of it. Westerlo’s attacks were otherwise limp and as they tired, USG took advantage. Elton Kabangu came off the bench, immediately nicked the ball from a defender and passed it to Mohammed Amorua. The Algerian found himself one on one with Sinan Bolat and easily beat the Turkish keeper.
No points means that Westerlo are in last place, one behind Kortrijk and will go up against another struggling side, OH Leuven over the weekend. Before that however they have a Cup game against second division SK Beveren.
Gent 3 – 1 Standard Liege
Les Roches’ nine game undefeated streak came to an end on Sunday night at the hands of third place Gent in East Flanders. The game was already won before the intermission with the three goals that hit the back of the Standard net in the first half. Marlon Fossey got the nod and put in a 62 minute shift. He was also credited with the game’s first goal that unfortunately was put into the back of his own net.
Overall the game was one that never lacked excitement with not only the four goals but also three missed/saved penalties. Davy Roef, the Buffalo’s keeper was the hero of the night, twice denying Aka Kanga from the penalty spot.
The first penalty came after just five minutes but the chance for the very early lead was blown by Hugo Cuypers when the Gent front man put the ball on the spot and struck it quite pathetically right at Arnaud Bodart. And when the ball was put on the spot at the other end some 18 minutes later, the Gent keeper was the hero as he denied Kanga.
Fossey’s OG came in the 33rd minute to break the deadlock. And three minutes later, Cuypers redeemed himself after that penalty miss by putting the ball into the back of the net to double the Gent lead. Then four minutes later Tarik Tissoudali scored his second of the season to put the game to bed.
Kanga redeemed himself in the 66th minute by sticking the ball into the back of the net after he failed to score from the spot in the first half. His redemption was short lived however because he was given the chance convert a penalty in the 84th minute and once again failed as Roef made another half decent save.
Standard, now in eighth place, will host lower league Harelbeke on Wednesday in their Cup game before taking on Mechelen at home.
Notes
Mark McKenzie didn’t participate in Genk’s 3-0 road win against Kortrijk on Sunday night. Alex Mighten got off the bench in the 66th minute for the Kerels, who find themselves in the penultimate position in the Pro League. Up next, Genk will have a midweek Cup clash against fourth division Vise before their league game at Antwerp. Kortrijk also have a Cup game, against Dender before traveling to Molenbeek.
Sam Vines is back in training but is till a few weeks away from competitive soccer. He missed out on the clash against Club Brugge where Antwerp fell 2-1 at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Up next for the defending champions is a midweek Cup clash at Lierse. They’ll return to league action Saturday night when the Smurfs of Genk pay a visit.
Mark McKenzie was absent from the team sheet when Genk played Kortrijk at the Guldensporen Stadium on Sunday evening. Alex Mighten started on teh bench for KVK and… It ended in favor of …..
