Belgium

Antwerpen Provincial 1

Saturday 9th February 2019

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

K.F.C. Eendracht Zoersel 0 Heikant Berlaar 3, attendance 267

8’ 0-1

35’ 0-2

56’ 0-3

@ DCA Stadion

Complex Zoersel

Westmallebaan

2980 Zoersel

€8 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

Eendracht Zoersel were only promoted into Provincial 1 this season and after winning their match at K.F.C. Lille last Saturday, they moved to the top of the league table. Heikant started the day in seventh place, despite having only won one of their last seven matches.

The early goal for the visitors was a sign of things to come. Zoersel were never in it and were lucky to go into the break just trailing 0-2. It was all over as a contest when Heikant made it 0-3, with a shot on the turn that went into the bottom corner of the net, eleven minutes into the second half. Despite being reduced to ten men, following a red card after 76 minutes, Heikant held on comfortably and could have added another couple of goals as well.

Belgium

Oost Vlaanderen Provincial 4D

Saturday 9th February 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

F.C. Rangers Merelbeke 0 K.S.C. De Schroevers Moorsel 1, attendance 30

70’ 0-1

@ Complex S.K. Merelbeke

Zwijnaardsesteenweg 89

9820 Merelbeke

€4 Admission, but not charged

No Programme.

We were on the 09.20 Tunnel, which ran on time, heading for what we hoped would be a three match weekend in Belgium. As Rangers Merelbeke play at the ground of S.K. Merelbeke, who also play in this division, then they have a number of Saturday afternoon matches scheduled when there are fixture clashes and as luck would have it, this weekend was one of those occasions.

The match was 9th versus 6th in the league table. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a pretty non eventful match. Rangers were just plain rubbish, whilst Moorsel knew that a single goal would be enough to win it. Rangers had a man red carded three minutes into the second half, for an elbow in the face of a challenging player, but it still took Moorsel until the seventieth minute to make the breakthrough, with a shot from the edge of the box that found the bottom corner of the net.

Our evening fixture was a match in Antwerpen Provincial 1, just under an hour and a quarter drive north east, so plenty of time to check in at our overnight accommodation in Sint-Antonius en route.

Belgium

Brabant Provincial 3D V.F.V.

Wednesday 6th February 2019

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.02

K.F.C. Markzonen Tollembeek 0 V.C. Groot-Dilbeek 4, attendance 67

48’ 0-1

71’ 0-2

75’ 0-3

87’ 0-4

@ Complex Markedal

Hernestraat

Tollembeek

1570 Galmaarden

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

With my only new ground visit options this week being for a 3G pitch in North Shields, or a University match this afternoon, it was nice to see a couple of fixtures appear in Belgium, with this being the one I hadn’t been to. After all, it is far easier to get to here than it is to the North East, as well as being much less mileage.

Apart from one season in the mid 90’s, when they reached Provincial 1, Tollembeek have played in the lower reaches of Brabant Provincial football. They came into this in twelfth place in the league table, whilst the visitors are second. There was little to separate them in the first half, but the gulf between the two teams was pretty evident to see after the break. The opening goal arrived early in the second half, as did the steady rain that remained for the evening, and when a quick fire double made it 0-3 as we approached the last quarter of an hour, it was game over. A free kick into the top corner of the net rounded things off in the closing minutes.

Despite being very quiet at The Tunnel, they were still unable to run smoothly. The train before ours had been cancelled, with our 14.20 crossing retimed to 14.29, but still managing to leave another three minutes late. In the end it wasn’t a problem, as there is a Frituur that shares the car park with the football ground, where you could eat your meal and watch the teams warming up on the pitch at the same time. The journey back towards Calais was very wet, but we had ample time, as we were on the 01.21 return……and yes, it was late, but only by a minute.

Mid Sussex League

Premier Division

Saturday 2nd February 2019

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

Eastbourne Rangers 3 Balcombe 4, attendance 16

5’ 0-1

17’ 1-1

34’ 2-1

47’ 2-2

55’ 2-3

71’ 2-4

73’ 3-4

@ Eastbourne Sports Park, 3G Pitch

Cross Levels Way

Hampden Park

Eastbourne

BN21 2UF

No Admission or Programme.

It seemed strange to be travelling down to the South Coast in temperatures of between 5 and 6 degrees, on a sunny day, looking out over mile after mile of green fields knowing that we would be watching one of only a handful of lower level non league matches taking place in the South East today. It just didn’t seem possible that games had been called off for snow, frost and waterlogged pitches, but that seems to be the excuses used for the lack of choice in choosing a match today. I had already got half an eye on this match anyway, but when I was offered a lift here, then my mind was soon made up.

Eastbourne Rangers only have one more home league match left to play after today and that is in a fortnight, so it seemed a good time to tick this off. Rangers are tenth in the league table, whilst Balcombe are third and still in with a chance of winning the title. When the visitors went ahead after five minutes it looked like it would be an easy three points for them. By halftime, Rangers were 2-1 in front, but two howlers by their ‘keeper in the opening ten minutes of the second half saw them trailing 2-3. Balcombe looked to have sewn it up when it became 2-4, but a quick reply brought it back to 3-4. It was nice to see both teams still going all out for another goal, even though the visitors could have shut up shop and settled for what they had.