Not a first away win for the Kakkers, but a first home win for the Canaries. KV Mechelen again did not make a good move in Sint-Truiden. Against a sharper STVV it saw the unbeaten series of three games broken.
At Mechelen no Coucke – one of the many injuries in the core of Buijs – under the bar, Thoelen was his replacement. STVV coach Bernd Hollerbach recovered Hayashi after an ankle injury.
The home team claimed the ball in the first half and often played on half of the visitors. An always active Brüls and a sharp Hayashi made it quite difficult for the KV defense. KV Mechelen had to wait longer for the first target danger. Yellow-red got no further than a few lost long balls. Malinwa couldn’t get through the Truiens block, so just watch for the counter. It was only just before half an hour that Da Cruz scored the first danger from Mechelen with a long shot and Schoofs with a flight shot. With an immature Malede, Leistner and Al-Dakhil, the STVV duo in the center back, had little work.
Although the opening goal of a more dominant STVV seemed to be in the air, it did not materialize. Thanks to a header from Al-Dakhil, and attempts by Okazaki (on the post) and Kagawa, Thoelen got it warm before half time. Buijs was allowed to come up with something in the dressing room, because his team barely appeared in the piece.
Wouters in the wrong
No matter how mesmerizing the first half was, the second half started off as entertaining. Hairemans got behind the ball after ref Smet whistled a free kick for a foul on Schoofs. ‘Geoffke Deurne-Noord’ placed the ball neatly on the right side of the post with his left. KV actually ahead without really playing football. But that lead was short-lived: Wouters, who had started the second half instead of Van Hecke, had to enter a sprint duel with Hayashi. The Malinwa defender was badly positioned and wanted to squeeze in, but tapped Hayashi. Penalty, Smet judged. The experienced Kagawa converted it: 1-1.
So we were off again. And the game level of the Mechelen had not improved. Fifteen minutes before time, the Limburgers finally went over. Koita tried from afar and Thoelen had trouble with the bouncing ball. The KV goalie pushed the ball too centrally, right into the feet of substitute Bruno, who deserved the 2-1 on the board.
Buijs no longer had much offensive power on the bench. The eleven Mechelaars on the field seemed too excited to rectify the imbalance. In stoppage time Bruno again recorded the 3-1 final score. The substitute was much more alert in the small rectangle and finished very well from the turn. The first defeat after the 7 out of 9 was a fact for the Mechelaars. Sint-Truiden can only be more satisfied with the 6 out of 6.
STVV: Schmidt – Janssens, Leistner, Al-Dakhil – Hashioka, Hayashi (74′ Bruno), Brüls (80′ Boya), Konate, Van Dessel (64′ Koita) – Kagawa, Okazaki.
KV Mechelen: Thoelen – Walsh, Peyre, Vanlerberghe, Van Hoorenbeeck – Van Hecke (46′ Wouters), Oum Gouet (80′ Hernandez), Schoofs – Hairemans (86′ Raemaekers), Malede, Da Cruz (64′ Ngoy).
Goals: 53′ 0-1 Hairemans, 57′ 1-1 Kagawa, 76′ 2-1 Bruno, 90+5′ 3-1 Bruno.
Yellow cards: 52′ Oum Gouet, 53′ Al-Dakhil, 75′ Walsh, 82′ Van Hoorenbeeck.
Red cards: /
Referee: Wim Smet.
