Courtrai led 1-0 through Thierry Ambrose (10th minute), then 2-1 through Suf Podgoreanu (75th). Kelvin Owusu (61st) and Mbey Epolo (90th+1) equalised for Heist, sending the match to extra time. The shoot-out turned on three missed Courtrai penalties, and Heist, of D1 amateurs, won it 5-4.
Marcel read the score at the chip shop. He folded the paper slowly.
A hundred and twenty minutes of football, and it comes down to the penalty spot. Eleven metres. One against one. In the old days, you arranged to meet again the following week, at the other side’s ground, and started over. Heist deserved to go through. I’m not criticising. I’m comparing. Well. It’s the times.
The rest of the evening followed the pecking order more closely. Lommel, also promoted to the Jupiler Pro League, won 0-2 away at Diksmude-Ostende (D2 amateurs), with goals from Tom Reyners (32nd) and Lucas Schoofs (49th), against a side down to ten men from the 18th minute. The same night, Lokeren beat Houtvenne 5-0, Sam Van Aerschot scoring four times, in the 17th, 33rd, 57th and 59th minutes, before Modeste Duku added a fifth (75th). Dender won 0-6 away at Hoogstraten, Virton 0-3 at KSV Oostkamp.
Others waited until the last minute, and even the ones after that. Patro Eisden beat Roulers 1-2 in stoppage time. Sporting Hasselt, held 1-1 by Mandel United, scored in the 90th+2 and 90th+3 to win 1-3. Francs Borains eliminated Diegem 0-1 after extra time, on a goal from Severin Nioule in the 117th minute.
Marcel read that last part twice.
Stoppage time. In my day, the referee checked his watch, blew the whistle, and you went home. Nowadays, we add minutes on. Hasselt scored twice in what we used to call the walk to the dressing room. Note that I’m not against progress. I’m against this progress.
It’s true, we checked: L'Avenir.
