Vaesrade player Swen Boelijn (left) in a duel with Mika Lemmens. — © Ermindo Armino
VV HEBES won 3-1 against Vaesrade on its own field. The home team thus moves further away from the relegation zone, while the guests focus on the play-offs for promotion.
“I’ll just grab a beer,” VV HEBES coach Lars Peeters apologizes after the match. “It tastes good,” the coach laughs a few sips later. Thanks to the 3-1 win over sub-topper Vaesrade, the club from Beegden is almost safe. “A big compliment for this group. We were missing seven basic players today, but that was not reflected on the field. Everyone played fantastic.”
Personnel problems
Peeters’ team met Vaesrade at an opportune moment. The PhD student out Foxy is more than safe and also suffers from personnel problems due to injuries and suspensions. “OOur focus is on the play-offs, for which we must be complete and fit”, said Vaesrade trainer Kevin Stawenga. Against HEBES, his team was forced to play with a number of reserve players, which, according to the coach, meant that some automatisms were missing. “We had no pressure on the opponent and gave away the goals too easily,” Stawenga analyzed after the match.
Joy
In the first half Vaesrade had even more ball possession, but the chances were mainly for the home team. However, goalkeeper Erik Urff was alert to efforts from Mika Lemmens and Tijn Leduc, and saw a goal by Nick Pouls disallowed for offside. Moments later, James Oglesby seemed to score the 0-1, but he shot over from a promising position. In the second half, Lars Pouls scored the opening goal, after which Tijn Leduc and Mika Lemmens further increased the score. Leroy Huiveneers’ tying goal came too late: 3-1. It led to a lot of joy at Hebes, but there was also positivity among the guests. Stawenga: “Today other players got the chance. This allows them to develop and gain rhythm. If I need them in the play-offs, they are ready.”
