Belgium

Brabant Provincial 4D V.F.V.

Sunday 26th January 2020

Kick Off 17.30 Actual 17.33

K. Sporting F.C. Haren 1 K.F.C. Wezembeek-Oppem 4, attendance 28

24’ 0-1

44’ 1-1

53’ 1-2

74’ 1-3

90’ 1-4

@ Sporthalstraat 21

1130 Haren

No Admission or Programme.

In the end we made it in plenty of time for this one, arriving thirteen minutes before kick off and it kicked off three minutes late on top of that! Although it is a 3G Pitch, the surroundings look old, so it was probably a grass pitch originally.

The match was 12th versus 2nd in the league table. It wasn’t high on skill, which is what you’d expect at this level, but both teams had a go and there were plenty of chances at both ends. Wezembeek were in control, having gone ahead midway through the first half, but Haren levelled a minute before the break, when their winger cut inside and finished with a shot into the far corner. Wezembeek edged back in front early in the second half and deservedly added two more goals to run out comfortable 1-4 winners.

We were booked on the 21.36 Eurotunnel, which was the earliest available at the time of booking, due to planned engineering works. We knew we weren’t going to make it on time for check in due to watching the extra match, but rather than reschedule, we just took a chance and hoped for the best. We ended up being given the 2250, which wasn’t too bad, but made it onto the 22.42. This left seven minutes late, so we didn’t gain much, but it could have been worse. The M20 was once again closed between Junction 9 and 7 as we headed home and added to the fact that most of the M20 is restricted to a 50 mph limit from Ashford to the M26, then it meant arrival home was five minutes before midnight.

Belgium

Limburg Provincial 1

Sunday 26th January 2020

Kick Off 14.30. On Time!

Bregel Sport 2 K. Achel V.V. 1, attendance 88

66’ 1-0

68’ 1-1

79’ 2-1

@ Terboekt

Meistraat 29

Sledderlo

3600 Genk

€10 Admission (included one free drink)

Team Sheet, free.

I had visited Bregel Sport on 12th September 2010, when they beat S.C. Zichen-Zussen-Bolder 2-0 in a Limburg Provincial 1 match. That game was played at their ‘Richter’ ground, but in 2013 (unknown to us until last season) they had moved to their new complex in Meistraat .

Today’s match was a mid table battle, as ninth hosted seventh. The first half was goalless, with neither team looking like making a breakthrough. The second half continued in the same vein, but it burst in to life when Bregel opened the scoring, when a free kick from just outside the box left the ‘keeper rooted to the spot as the ball flew into the top corner of the net. Achel levelled within two minutes, with a shot from 20 yards, that beat the ‘keeper into the bottom corner with the aid of a deflection.

Bregel got the winner through their No.9, who had come on as a second half substitute, when a cross from the left was headed in from 6 yards with eleven minutes left. They ended up playing the last eight minutes, plus almost four minutes of stoppage time, with 10 men, having had a defender red carded for dragging down an Achel striker as he tried to break clear. Achel pushed hard for an equaliser, but the Bregel defence stood firm.

We had been keeping an eye on the clock, hoping that the game wouldn’t finish too far past 16.15, as we had noticed that there was a 17.30 kick off in the north east of Brussels, and it was only a few miles off our route home. With a bit of luck we would make it, as according to SatNav it would take us just under an hour to drive the 58 miles. By 16.22 we were on our way……

Belgium

Limburg Provincial U17 C

Sunday 26th January 2020

Kick Off 11.15. On Time!

Eendracht Termien U17B 4 F.C. Diepenbeek U17 0, attendance 43

42’ 1-0

47’ 2-0

51’ 3-0

77’ 4-0

@ “ ‘T Heke “, Pitch 2

Oude Termienstraat 8

Termien

3600 Genk

No Admission or Programme.

This match was used to kill a bit of time for us and was less than fifteen minutes drive from our intended afternoon match. Having done a couple of games at this level on recent weekend trips, I wasn’t expecting too much. The two matches I have seen before were just too one sided. Today was far more competitive, although once Termien made the breakthrough they ran out comfortable winners.

The game was played on Pitch 2, which runs end on to the main stadium, being separated by the clubhouse/changing room building. I had seen the first team beat K. Daring Hugo Jeuk 3-1 in a Limburg Provincial 1 match back on 5th January 2014, but hadn’t paid any attention to the other pitches within the complex.

Having taken no photographs on my visit to the main stadium, I decided to do so today. The ground looks unchanged in the intervening six years. (See below).