“We will never win the cup,” said Knokke trainer Jannes Tant in the run-up to the match against OHL. However, his team was close. Just like a month ago against KV Mechelen, Knokke forced extra time and penalties against an embarrassingly weak OHL, but a new stunt was not possible after two missed penalties. The dream derby against Club Brugge will be for another time.
Not a full house for the arrival of OH Leuven in Knokke, but the home club did not let it get to their hearts. Fireworks along the side of the field, but also on it. The amateur club got off to the best start against the professionals from Leuven, who were just as pale in this Croky Cup as they were in the Jupiler Pro League. Knokke immediately threatened with a dangerous shot from Buysse, Leysen was immediately warmed up. Hebbelinck took advantage of the space available on the artificial grass field, but there was no real danger anymore.
After about 20 minutes, OHL decided it was time to get started. Banzuzi made himself noticed for the first time and the second time it was bingo. N’Dri was given too much space in the box, Dom was not picked up and the 0-1 was a fact. The match certainly did not go well. It visibly faded away and Leuven avoided any risk. The first supply of Knokse fuel also seemed to have been used up, but with the peace it was filled again just in time. First, Vervaque tested Leysen again, but with Prudhomme’s next corner just before half time the score was right. Pieters actually headed Knokke wide again at OHL and not undeservedly so.
Would it be possible to repeat the miracle of late October against Mechelen? In any case, Garcia made a double substitution at OHL with Schrijvers and Brunes for Banzuzi and Nsingi, but it didn’t do much initially and the first chance was again for Knokke, but Prudhomme decided wide. It was not immediately clear who the amateurs and who the professionals were. Jalloh was just one foot short and Knokke actually took the lead twenty minutes before the end.
Trainers go to the stands where a riot breaks out
Time started to tick away for OHL, which threw Holzhauser into the fray for the remaining ten minutes. However, the ex-Beerschotter could no longer force anything, although he threatened to score a free kick. So the score remained 1-1, just like against Mechelen, and again extra time in Knokke. But first things got quite out of hand on the field and the stands. At OHL they became so frustrated that there was a riot. Bourdeaud’hui then drew some cards and also sent both Tant and Garcia to the stands. Not exactly his smartest decision. An overheated Knokke fan – although it was very cold at sea – fan thought it necessary to urge Garcia to sit down and a fight actually broke out in the stands.
It caused more commotion than the extensions, which were a waste of time, the best chance was in the second extension for Knokke and Jalloh, but Shingtienne intervened just in time. Penalties, but a stunt like against KV Mechelen was not possible. Leysen stopped Jalloh’s penalty, Holzhauser did not miss and Addo kicked wildly over. A bitter end to a beautiful adventure for Knokke.
Knokke: Goblet; Vervaque, Vanraefelghem, Bailly, Buysse; Pieters, Pierre, Prudhomme (101′ Aelterman); Hebbelinck (101′ Hallaert), Mfumu (73′ Addo), Jalloh
OHL: Leysen; Sagrado, Pletinckx, Dom (63′ Shlomo), Mandil; Banzuzi (46′ Schrijvers), Shingtienne, Maziz; Thorsteinsson, N’Dri (79′ Holzhauser), Nsingi (46′ Brunes)
Goals: 24′ Dom (N’Dri) 0-1, 45′ Pieters (Prudhomme) 1-1
Yellow cards: 35′ Banzuzi, 61′ Dom, 78′ Shlomo, 82′ Hebbelinck, 88′ Mendyl, 88′ Bailly, 119′ Thorsteinsson
Red cards:
Referee: Simon Bourdeaud’hui
Spectators: 1100
2023-12-06 21:59:00
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