Engels – Match report Beerschot-Moeskroen
BEERSCHOT – MOESKROEN 2 - 2
What a turnaround in the last five minutes of the game that was. After 85 minutes, and with a 0-2 scoreline, Beerschot looked on its way to a disappointing home defeat against a well organised but unimpressive Moeskroen that has scored a goal in each half.
Our Mannekes didn’t get going at all, lacked pace and had not recorded one shot on target. But all of a sudden Blessing Eleke and Stipe Radic put the game on its head with two goals in a powerful “do or die” ending… which eventually resulted in a 2-2 draw and a well taken point.
In a lacklustre first half Beerschot didn’t create anything: the build up was slow and sloppy, we lacked ideas in midfield and confidence at the back. And just before the half hour the inevitable happened: Vanhamel punched away a high cross to the end of the box where Onana reacted well with a looping header. Too easily conceded that goal… and on top of that Beerschot’s reply was poor. Just one good rush on the left side from Bourdin, whose cross was headed wide by Holzhauser. And that was it. The half time whistle from ref Vergoote came as a big relief.
Beerschot showed more power and determination after the break but didn’t get control in midfield, where Holzhauser put in a couple of decent crosses… hut they were easily picked up by the well organised Moeskroen defence. The visitors relied on their quick and efficient breaks and could celebrate a second time when Tabekou ran out the whole of the Beerschot defence and put the ball in the far corner. Moeskroen 2-0 up, the game looked all over.
Three “black power” substitutions by Will Still, who brought on Coulibaly, Eleke and Sanyang for extra attacking power, eventually did the trick. Blessing Eleke converted a pass from Holzhauser for his first goal in his Beerschot career, and deep into injury time Stipe Radic was in the right place to score the equaliser after a long throw in from Van den Bergh. Point salvaged. Totally unexpected but gratefully accepted.
ATTENDANCE: 0
REFEREE: Vergoote
GOALS: 26’ Onana 0-1, 72’ Tabekou 0-2, 86’ Eleke 1-2, 90’+4 Radic 2-2
BEERSCHOT: Vanhamel, Dom (82’ Halaimia), Radic, Frans (55’ Coulibaly), Van den Bergh, Bourdin, Pietermaat, Sanusi (64’ Sanyang), Holzhauser, Brogno (64’ Eleke), Suzuki
MOESKROEN: Koffi, Agouzoul, Hocko, Olinga (77’ Vieira), Onana, Bakic, Mohamed, Ciranni, Da Costa (90’+3 Harbaoui), Lepoint, Tabekou (90+2’ Faraj)
YELLOW CARDS: Olinga, Da Costa, Pietermaat, Koffi, Van den Bergh, Hocko
RED CARDS: none
By Danny Geerts
Photo: Jan Mees
