Saturday 15th Ocotber 2011 ko 8.00pm

Kompetitie 3e Nationale A

VERBROEDERING GEEL-MERHOUT 3 (Frederik 81 Lacroix 86 Riyani 90)

K.Sv, TEMSE 0 Stoclet sent off 72 (2md booking)

Att c1,800

Entry €12

Teamsheet FREE

Fricandel (Currywurst Hot Dog) €3.50

Now, there’s a Geel, and there’s a Meerhout, and they’re fairly close to each other. So with a team named after both, where’s the Stadion de Leneun? The answer is Geel, although the club offices are in Merhout.

Yes folks, this is the wonderful world of Belgian football, and to be honest I was beginning to get something of a complex about it. In March, Lierse refused to sell me a ticket for a night game like this, as a rule was in force that you couldn’t buy a ticket after 12pm, so when this one kicked off I was please to collect the Country Point!

This division, the third in Belgium is known also (in Flemish) as the Derde Klasse, and is split along regional lines, imaginatively known as A and B. Both are of equal status and to my untrained eye seem to be on roughly Flanders and Wallonia lines.

The ground is modern, well appointed and frankly a little bland. I won’t complain too much as the view was excellent, and my Fricandel at half time was delicious!

The game, well, oh dear. For 80 minutes it had nil nil written all over it. Neither side had a decent forward, and Tim Renier in the visitors’ goal was having an inspired evening. Then two things happened to change the pattern of play. Firstly Kenneth Stoclet got himself needlessly sent off, Temse were no longer able to stifle the game, and Geel-Meehout took full advantage, Thomas Frederik firing home at close range. Then, Michael Lacroix came on as a substitute, and had a point to prove. He found space that simply hadn’t been there scored within a minute of coming on. He then set up Mohammed Riyani, himself on for only a minute!

The last 10 minutes’ action saved the game as a spectacle, and gave Peter and I something to smile about on the short drive back to out overnight accomodation in Retie.