Belgium
Division 3 Amateurs V.F.V. B
Saturday 12th October 2019
Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31
K.F.C. Witgoor Sport Dessel 2 Lyra-Lierse Berlaar 5, attendance 600 est.
11’ 0-1
22’ 1-1
34’ 2-1
36’ 2-2
58’ 2-3
81’ 2-4
89’ 2-5
@ Sportpark De Wouwer
Wouwerstraat 45
Witgoor
2480 Dessel
€10 Admission
Team Sheet, free.
The journey from Axel to Witgoor took around an hour and a half, which included going to our overnight accommodation in Mol en route. We already knew that the match tonight had been designated as a ‘risk match’, so we arrived at the ground early, just in case there were any problems getting in. As it turned out, no problem whatsoever (which is what we really expected, but better to be safe…) although as segregation was in operation, we had a choice. We could go in the ‘away’ section, which was behind one goal and along the far side, or, go in the ‘home’ section, which was where the clubhouse and main stand were, although the end behind the right hand goal had no access at all, so we were limited to the one sided view of the pitch. This scenario is not great for taking photos of the ground, especially with such poor standard floodlighting, as the main stand is the only thing worth focusing on, but at least you got a raised view of the action, which at the end of the day is what you’ve actually come to see.
Witgoor Sport have moved to Sportpark De Wouwer this season, having played at the Stadion Jef Lutyen for the last 83 years and one that I visited at the start of the 2015/16 season, a matter of weeks before I left Belgium for the U.S.A. The new ground has been developed on part of what was previously their youth academy set up.
Witgoor Sport came into the match 11th in the league table, whilst the visitors were third. The reason for the match being classed as a ‘risk’ was due to a good number of away fans making the journey from Lierse, as normally teams travel with very low numbers of fans for Belgian League matches, especially for those below the top two levels.
Lyra-Lierse dominated from the off and were soon ahead. Witgoor Sport levelled, totally against the run of play, then had a spell on top which saw them go 2-1 up, resulting in the only potential flash point of the game, as a number of plastic beer glasses were hurled from the terracing towards the away fans standing near the segregation fence, but it was the Police Officers stood in the middle of the two groups that took the soaking instead!
Lyra- Lierse levelled within two minutes and it was still 2-2 at the break. The visitors once again dominated as Witgoor Sport tired during the second half and having gone 2-3 up just before the hour, two late goals rounded off a resounding 2-5 win for Lyra-Lierse, which keeps them in third place in the league, but does close the gap, as the two teams above them were playing each other and drew 1-1.
