KV Mechelen immediately took control of the match and tried to play the home team’s block out of context. That resulted in about a 75 percent takeover, but chances are very few. After half an hour of searching and fumbling, Malinoa found a loophole: Coerce was in the right place to push Storm’s cross into goal.
STVV woke up only after 0-1. Konate got the equalizer on the foot, but he faced Thueln. Moments later, KVM defender Van Drongelen was the last man to make a foul, but the referee put him down on yellow, despite a call from the VAR.
After the break, the roles were reversed. STVV, now with Kagawa on the team, took the lead and pushed KV Mechelen back. In the hour, the home team also got paid for work: Klaus hit the equalizer in the ceiling of the goal on Hara’s cross.
Aside from a timid attempt by Cuypers, KV Mechelen is no longer involved. It was STVV who was still chasing unsuccessfully after the winning goal. Jansens and Kagawa could not take advantage of the best opportunities, and Hara did not receive a penalty after a foul from Vanlerberge.
Wouter Franken (Coach KV Mechelin): “We totally controlled the first half. You know you’re playing against a strong block, but we were able to take the initiative. Then it’s a shame that we made wrong choices in the second half, which means we lost control a little bit. It wasn’t good enough.”
“I think we have to keep our feet on the ground. Sint-Truiden equalized in the second half in his own way, while the first was ours. It’s that simple. The score is just right. I think it’s clear where our ambitions lie.”
Christian Broyles (STVV): “If you look at both halves, it’s a fair result. With a bit of luck, Kagawa’s ball will still go in at the end, but the goalkeeper got it perfectly. How do you explain the difference between the first half and the second half? Just because we played football in the second half. With all the Passes and every set that works, you get more confidence. Thanks to Kagawa’s contribution, we naturally had more footballing abilities in midfield. We are now taking 11 on 15 and conceding 2 goals, so now we can work with great confidence towards the match against Genk.”
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