ZULTE WAREGEM - BEERSCHOT 2 - 0
Big hiccup in Beerschot's "Operation Salvation" this afternoon. With Cercle Brugge taking the three points yesterday and Holzhauser & co losing in Waregem today, the gap with numbers 16 and 17 in the table is now three points bigger. Beerschot have only themselves to blame for this defeat. Poor defending and a howler from Mike Vanhamel in the first quarter of the game set the home team on their way to victory. Our Mannekes never recovered from that. So, sour grapes in the end.
What a disastrous start we had. After just three minutes Kutesa was allowed to cross the ball and found a totally unmarked Gano who simply headed in. Less than ten minutes later Mike Vanhamel let an all but dangerous low shot from Dompé bounce over his body in the goal. Two easy give away goals that cost us dearly. And it could have been three-nil when another Zulte Waregem shot hit the post with our defense stranded.
Vaca and Shankland then got Beerschot's motor running with some good moves in midfield and dangerous infiltrations through the middle. Goalkeeper Bossut denied both our players and was lucky when a volley from Holzhauser went just inches wide. Unfortunate as we deserved a consolation goal in that period.
Diego Torrente, who stood in for his suspended brother as head coach, brought on Lemos and Sanyang after the break in a desperate attempt to bounce back from that 2-0 scoreline. Sanyang and Shankland threatened but again Bossut saved their shots. And the Waregem goalie also parried when Van den Bergh tried his luck with a low shot in the corner.
It was good intentions only for Beerschot. Pressure was on but the final pass was sloppy for most of the time. When Holzhauser curled a free kick from his favourite spot just outside the box narrowly wide, Zulte Waregem again took control but failed to score a third goal. Two-nil was the final score which ended Beerschot's four games unbeaten run rather abruptly. A painful and frustrating afternoon.
ATTENDANCE: 4.500
REFEREE: Van Driessche
GOALS: 3' Gano 1-0, 12' Dompé 2-0
ZULTE WAREGEM: Bossut, Cirrani, Boya, Dompé, Kutesa (78' Vossen), Seck, Fadera, Pletinckx, Humphries, Gano, Doumbia
BEERSCHOT: Vanhamel, Halaimia (46' Lemos), Radic, Bourdin, Van den Bergh, Dom, Pietermaat (46' Sanyang), Caicedo (70' Suzuki), Vaca, Holzhauser, Shankland
YELLOW CARDS: Halaimia, Doumbia
RED CARDS: none
By Danny Geerts
Photo: Jan Mees
