CHARLEROI - BEERSCHOT 5 - 2
One draw and five defeats after six games, 1 point out of a possible 18 and rock bottom in the table. Very disappointing and confronting indeed. This afternoon Beerschot were outplayed and outclassed by Charleroi who made the difference in the second half. In the end the home team scored five goals and could even afford to miss two penalties. Beerschot, who had Thibault De Smet sent off after just five minutes, took control in the first half hour but were very much second best after the break.
Beerschot's start was disastrous. A handball on the goal line from De Smet resulted in a straight red card and a penalty. Mike Vanhamel saved Morioka's spot kick but from then on it was an uphill struggle. With then mern against eleven our Mannekes combined well and created a couple of good chances through a tireless Noubissi, Holzhauser aned Soumaré. Their shots and headers went narrowly wide and over, or goalkeeper Koffi produced a brilliant save. He denied Holzhauser from scoring directly from an inswinging corner.
It was Charleroi that broke the deadlock when Nicholson headed in a corner from a suspiciously looking offside position. VAR validated the goal although the footage wasn't convincing at all.
With Van den Buijs in for Shankland and a few position changes within the team Beerschot started tthe second half looking for an equaliser. But within ten minutes Charleroi doubled the score, again by an unmarked Nicholson who was allowed to simply tap in a ricochet. Topsy turvy sensation on the hour: first Nicholson hit the post from Charleroi's second penalty; on the break Holzhauser punished a blunder by the home goalkeeper... but Beerschot's new hope was dented when Morioka - seconds after the restart - curled a third goal past Vanhamel. All in the space of two minutes. Incredible really...
The score went up from 3-1 to 5-2 in the remaining twelve minutes of this spectacular game, with Beerschot's frustration growing by the second. Also Stipe Radic was sent off for a totally unnecessary second bookable offence which ment we finished the gzame with just nine players. Hitting rock bottom that's called. And high time for reflection.
ATTENDANCE: 5.022
REFEREE: Dierick
GOALS: 37' Nicholson 1-0, 52' Nicholson 2-0, 59' Holzhauser 2-1, 60' Morioka 3-1, 78' Nicholson 4-1, 88' Keita 4-2 (owngoal), 90' Morioka 5-2
CHARLEROI: Koffi, Knezevic, Van Cleemput, Zorgane, Gholizadeh (46' Benchaib), Nicholson (83' Keita), Kayembe, Wasinski (83' Fall), Tchatchoua (83' Chiacig), Morioka, Zaroury (66' Bedia)
BEERSCHOT: Vanhamel, Halaimia (83' Seriki), Radic, Van den Bergh, De Smet, Dom, Coulibaly, Soumaré (73' Vaca), Holzhauser (90+2' Konstantopoulos), Noubissi (73' Suzuki), Shankland (46' Van den Buijs)
YELLOW CARDS: Wasinski, Halaimia, Soumaré, Maes, Radic, Morioka, Van den Bergh
RED CARDS: 5' De Smet, 89' Radic (2x geel)
By Danny Geerts
Photo: Jan Mees
