Fourth draw in a row for AA Gent: Buffalo’s stumble over KV Oostende and do bad business in battle for top four

It’s not going to happen, such a draw. KV Oostende took, on a thief, an encouraging point in the Ghelamco Arena. Every point counts, but the danger zone remains close for the Kustboys. For AA Gent it is worse. That has already been a draw for the fourth match in a row and does not affect the first four. Losing to Antwerp on Sunday and the Buffalos had better put their money on the semi-finals of the cup against Club Brugge. The 0-0 against leader Union before New Years looked encouraging but since then three draws have followed that exposed pain points. In the back and in the front.

How? A combination of absentees – usual suspects Depoitre and Odjidja – a covid wave, the Africa Cup and a lack of worthy replacements. It had long been known that Ngadeu would be absent in January. That Tissoudali would be selected for Morocco is not. If there is no money for a replacement today, especially in the front, then AA Gent will actually pay the bill for the transfer summer again. Money wasn’t there then either, but it wasn’t well spent either, to Bayo, Mboyo and Lemajic.

Kums and Nurio were on the bench at AA Gent, Opéri and Owusu were allowed to start. In the front Vanhaezebrouck again hoped for Bruno, supported by Bezus and Castro-Montes. Interim coach Markus Pflanz opted for the same team that lost to Antwerp, the eighth loss for KVO in ten matches. But see, just like against Antwerp, KV Oostende opened the score. First, there was a warning from McGeehan. Impeded by Castro-Montes, he pushed a corner just wide while falling. A few seconds later, the ball was hitting the net. Castro-Montes lost the ball, Ambrose launched D’Haese from his own half and Godeau eventually managed to shake it off a little too easily. Ambrose got the ball back, Bolat was already outwitted: 0-1.

Hjulsager against ex-squad

KVO held onto the lead until the break, although the Kustboys hardly knew that themselves. AA Gent played stiff football – De Sart was not in the match – and initially reverted to long balls too often, despite the lack of a point of contact in the front. Still, opportunities arose. Almost exclusively on the right – where was Opéri? – and Hjulsager was always there for something. Who else, if Chakvetadze has long since fallen out of favor, Odjidja is still in the rags for a while and Bezus has transfer worries according to his trainer? First he just failed to reach Bruno, then the Dane was at the basis of an action that ended in a cracked shot by De Sart. He then curled a free kick wide. And yet there were blocked shots from Hjulsager and Castro-Montes. The very best opportunity came for Bruno. Hjulsager sent Castro-Montes to the back line, but Bruno’s cross went straight to the outside post.

KVO exchanged Ndicka for Atanga at halftime, but it hardly came to a full-fledged attack. AA Gent kept trying desperately, every now and then with a chance as a result. Bruno curled wide, a good move by Hjulsager again narrowly deviated wide. Pflanz intervened. Not defender Duncan, who flirted, who got off with a second yellow, but D’Haese, for enfant terrible Gueye. KVO still threatened for a while, when star Ambrose played back at McGeehan. The shot went miles over.

Vanhaezebrouck threw Kums and Lemajic into the fray. And the latter, who has not been in action for a month, actually had a foot in the equalizer. The bounce to Samoise, whose cross was so perfect on the passing Hjulsager that Hubert had no recourse: 1-1.

A clumsy header from Tanghe set AA Gent on its way to the winning goal. But the (too) hard hit from Hjulsager went to Hubert. Lemajic’s cat’s paw didn’t get past the Ostend goalie either. That was it, although a surprising shot from substitute Koziello went wide in extra time. Meanwhile, bad luck Bayo does score for Charleroi and Tissoudali stayed on the bench for 90 minutes at Morocco. Life can be cruel.