Ostend has done a bad job in the battle for preservation. KVO showed a lot of good intentions against Westerlo, which in the end, with a bit of luck, took the full spoils. Ostend remains camping in a relegation place.
Ostend-Westerlo in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Deep into extra time, a shot by Lukas Van Eenoo deviates at the unfortunate Rodin: 1-2, a hard verdict for Ostend.
- Man of the Match: Westerlo keeper Sinan Bolat didn’t have to perform miracles, but he did prove reliable when necessary.
- Figure: With a 12 out of 15, Westerlo has had the wind in its sails in recent weeks. The team of coach Jonas De Roeck is emphatically sniffing the top 4.
Opportunities for KVO, but no goals
In Westerlo, KV Oostende had received a 6-0, but after last week’s 4-4 against Eupen, the home team did not feel like another goal fair.
KVO showed eagerness from the start, with many good and offensive intentions. Still, Ostend was caught cold at the first breakout of the visitors. Reynolds painted the ball on Vaesen’s head, who headed in unstoppably.
The 0-1 was a blow for Ostend, which did everything it could to fight back in the game. The home team had the most of the game and won most of the duels, but the efficiency was lacking in the sixteen.
Fortunately for KVO, Maxim De Cuyper showed mercy. He forgot to count Ostend completely from the spot before half-time, after the VAR had alerted ref Laforge to a handball from Medley.
Westerlo player Vaesen celebrates his goal.
Westerlo has luck on his side
Even after coffee we got the same game image: a bustling Ostend tried to hurt Westerlo, but lacked sharpness in front of goal or encountered a fine goalkeeper Bolat.
It wasn’t until well into the 2nd half that KVO got paid for their work, when Westerlo couldn’t get the ball away from the back and McGeehan headed in the equalizer from close range.
The home crowd once again fully supported it, but things went wrong on the field. In the extra time, a shot from Van Eenoo disappeared via Rodin in goal, a defeat that a combative KVO did not deserve.
In the position, Ostend is number 16 – a relegation place – now 3 points less than Eupen, which plays in Ghent on Sunday evening. The gap with number 14 KV Kortrijk is 6 points, after KVK’s win against Club Brugge.
