Matchday 21 in the Jupiler Pro League saw Club take the bus to Sint-Truiden to take up the gauntlet with locals STVV. The visitors took the lead in the first half after a Janssens own-goal, but conceded the equaliser in the second half, a goal courtesy of Bruno, seeing Club held to a draw by the final whistle.
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Another stalemate for Club at STVV
Club's performance in last Sunday's home draw with RSC Anderlecht surely merited more than the one point, and coach Parker only made one change to the team making the trip to STVV. Back from suspension, Sylla came on for Mechele. Up front, the English T1 maintained his confidence in the three-pronged attack with Lang, Buchanan and Yaremchuk. The home side beat Eupen over the weekend, and arrived at kick-off unchanged.
The game started later due to a medical fan intervention, and when the time finally came, it was the hosts that started out with the most spring in its step, albeit without clear danger. Conversely, it was Club that took care of the first real danger; a fine combination between Nielsen and Mata saw the latter try his luck from just outside the box, but the effort got deflected into corner kick. Club kept asking questions, this time with an interception by Odoi, sending Lang deep, but his shot met with the hand of Schmidt to end up in the side netting. A bit later, Sylla's header upon a fine Buchanan cross sailed past the far post.
Up until then, the hosts had proven uneventful, but that changed around the half mark, as Hayashi beat Sylla to the ball and managed to produce a shot, but the ball went wide. Club finally managed to open the score line a few minutes later. Buchanan was found on the right hand side, pushed on, and produced an excellent cross, ending up against the back of the nets after an unfortunate touch by home defender Janssens. Club now tried further probing the home defense and widen the gap, but Yaremchuk's goal drought continued as he was unable to finish on two occasions. Ever the industrious forward, he saw his long distance effort neutralised by Schmidt. A 0-1 was all that Club could take to the dressing room at half-time.
Just like in the first half, it was the home side initially showing the most initiative, but this time it did result in a great chance. Koita found Okazaki deep, coming eye-to-eye with Mignolet, who had a fine reflex in store to deny the equaliser. The tight lead kept Club on its toes, but also urged it to keep threatening itself. Yaremchuk was set up insie the box, neatly pulling back to Nielsen, but the Dane lacked that clinical finish as his shot went wide of target. The Canaries also kept coming, and Bruno's header was eagerly clutched by Mignolet before Bauer had the time to thunder it home.
With a solid fifteen minutes on the clock, a devestating blow followed for Club as Hashioka curled the ball across the Club defense, where Mignolet tried to get hold of the leather without luck. Bruno followed up well, tapping in an easy equaliser. The goal gave the hosts wings, and another Hashioka cross brought fear to the Club defense, but this time Reitz put it wide. A bit later, Club really seemed shocked as Bruno scored a second STVV goal, but it was denied as the ball came to him in off-side position. Bringing on Nusa, Rits and Sowah, coach Parker decided it was time to throw all cars on the table. Nusa's long range effort was well-framed, but was eagerly pawed away by an attentive Schmidt.
The five minutes of added time did not come with further chances, meaning Club once again stumbled to the one singular point. Charleroi now awaits on Sunday, in a game Club hopes it can once again count on its impressive home side!
Jupiler Pro League – Matchday 21
Attendance: 14,600 – Stayen
Referee: Mr. Nicolas Laforge
Sint-Truidense VV: Daniel Schmidt – Wolke Janssens, Toni Leistner (c), Robert Bauer – Daiki Hashioka, Frank Boya, Shinji Okazaki, Olivier Dumont (61’ Rocco Reitz) - Aboubakary Koita, Daichi Hayashi, Gianni Bruno (89’ Eric Bocat Junior).
Bench: Jo Coppens, Fatih Kaya, Stan Van Dessel, Jorge Teixeira, Matte Smets, Rocco Reitz, Eric Bocat Junior.
Coach: Bernd Hollerbach.
Club Brugge: Simon Mignolet – Clinton Mata, Denis Odoi, Abakar Sylla, Bjorn Meijer – Raphael Onyedika, Casper Nielsen (89’ Mats Rits), Hans Vanaken (c) – Tajon Buchanan (78’ Antonio Nusa), Noa Lang (89’ Kamal Sowah), Roman Yaremchuk (81’ Ferran Jutglà).
Bench: Josef Bursik, Senne Lammens, Eduard Sobol, Dedryck Boyata, Brandon Mechele, Mats Rits, Ferran Jutglà, Kamal Sowah, Antonio Nusa.
Coach: Scott Parker.
Yellow cards: Meijer, Boya
Red cards: none
Goals: 26’ Janssens (own-goal (0-1), 77’ Bruno (1-1)