Belgium

Brabant Provincial 1 A.C.F.F.

Sunday 28th April 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

Renaissance Sportive Forestoise 0 F.C. Kosova Schaerbeek 4, attendance 89

10’ 0-1

14’ 0-2

64’ 0-3

78’ 0-4

@ Complex Centre Sportif Bempt, Pitch 5

Boulevard De La Deuxieme Armee Britannique 600

1190 Forest

No Admission or Programme.

Originally, the plan today was to be dropped off at R. Cercle Sportif Brainois, for a Belgian League match, with the driver continuing on to a game in Huldenberg. However, plans changed late last night when I noticed that instead of playing on the main stadium, they would be playing on their synthetic number 2 pitch instead, which I had visited on July 16th 2014, when I saw A.F.C. Tubize beat R. Union St. Gilloise 1-0 in a pre season friendly.

It turned out that the driver and the other two passengers decided to do the match at Brainois, as it was an unusual venue to stage a Belgian League match, so I needed a nearby drop off and plumped for the match in Forest, which was only going to be a twenty minute wait after the match before being picked up.

The hub here at Bempt is certainly fully utilised. Pitch 1 (synthetic) was hosting Maccabi Brussels ‘B’ in a 3rd Provincial match, whilst the parallel Pitch 2, also synthetic, was being used for training. Pitch 3, which is grass and separated from the other two by a line of trees, had a match that appeared to be between two teams of African decent. The main clubhouse/changing room building, which has a double aspect viewing gallery, has another two synthetic pitches, running widthways, on either side. Pitch 4, to the right as you enter from the car park, was hosting F.C. Forest, which was another 3rd Provincial level match, where I had seen F.C. Forest 1 F.C. Pepingen ‘B’ 2 in a Provincial 4C match on 12th February 2015. So this just left the match on Pitch 5, slightly raised, to the left of the building, which was where I would be watching my game. Just for good measure, there was a Rugby Union match being played on a pitch down in the dip beyond our pitch.

I wasn’t really in any rush to come back here just to do a different pitch in a complex I had already visited, but today was a perfect time to tick it off, and even better, it was a match that was important to both teams. Forestoise were bottom of the league table, but only on goal difference, and if they could win their last two matches, could avoid relegation if other results went their way. Kosova meanwhile, were second in the table, just a point behind R.A.S. Jodoigne, and in with a great chance of making it into the Belgian League next season.

When Kosova scored twice in the opening quarter of an hour, it looked like being an easy afternoon for them. They had to work hard for it though and with a bit more luck in front of goal, Forestoise could have got back into it, but having failed to pull a goal back, Kosova made it safe by adding a couple more goals to take the three points. The defeat sees Forestoise relegated, whilst Kosova go into their final match still trailing the leaders by a point, but with all still to play for.

Our outbound crossing on The Tunnel left a couple of minutes late. We were booked on the 20.50 back, but having had a relatively trouble free journey, we were offered a place on the earlier 20.06 train. Due to it being very quiet, we ‘tail ended’ onto the 19.50 instead, which annoyingly managed to leave 9 minutes late, but we were still well ahead of what we had been expecting from our original booking.