EUPEN – BEERSCHOT 3 – 1
No winning start for our new head coach Will Still tonight despite an early goal from Noubissi. Beerschot couldn’t build on that strong beginning as Eupen scored an equaliser less than ten minutes later and then punished our sloppy defensive work.
Two new faces in Beerschot’s starting lineup: Sanusi returned after suspension and Noubissi was used as an extra striker. Vorogovskiy didn’t make the squad due to a leg injury and Coulibaly was rested.
Noubisssi started with a well taken goal when he volleyed the ball behind Defourny but Beerschot’s joy was short lived after Vanhamel couldn’t hold on to a shot from N’dri and Prevljak netted the rebound . One-one after barely ten minutes play.
Just before half time Eupen scored again. Frans gave the ball away in midfield too easily, N’dri tried his luck from twenty yards for the second time in the match… and Vanhamel was unable to stop the Eupen striker’s effort that swayed in just under the crossbar. Beerschot replied with a promising combination and a shot from Sayang, but Koch saved, conceding a corner.
Beerschot didn’t find their stride after the break, were very much second best in midfield and hardly created a scoring opportunity. On top of that our defense lacked confidence and gave away too many chances. Koch punished that poor defending work with a low shot at the far post… and Beerschot were lucky a fourth Eupen goal was (rightly) disallowed for off side.
To make matters even worse Loris Brogno was sent off after elbowing Cools in an ordinary duel in midfield. Only ten minutes after coming on for Sanyang. It was the first red card for Beerschot this season and at the same time the final nail in our coffin. Late in the game Holzhauser curled a free kick towards the top corner, but Defourny palmed the ball away.
ATTENDANCE: 0
REFEREE: Lardot
GOALS: 2’ Noubissi 0-1, 10’ Prevljak 1-1, 40’ N’dri 2-0, 54’ Koch 3-0
EUPEN: Defourny, Heris, Amat, Koch, Adriano, N’dri, Peeters, Cools, Baby (68’ Kayembe), Prevljak (86’ Beck), Ngoy
BEERSCHOT: Vanhamel, Halaimia (61’ Dom), Van den Buijs, Frans, Van den Bergh, Pietermaat (76’ Coulibaly), Holzhauser, Sanusi, Suzuki (76’ Eleke), Noubissi (82’ Bourdin), Sanyang (62’ Brongo)
YELLOW CARDS: Van den Buijs
RED CARD: 71’ Brogno
By Danny Geerts
Photo: Luther Rommens
