On game day 12 in the Challenger Pro League, Club NXT U23 visited coach Timmy Simons' Dender. Before the match started, our pledges were eighth with a point behind Dender, which was seventh.
Both teams started the match with open sights, yielding an entertaining opening phase. For Dender attacker Myny, the start of the match was less positive. The Belgian, who blows out 29 candles today, gets injured in the first minute and soon has to be replaced by Turkish Ali Akman.
However, the forced substitution does Dender no harm. A strong Nsimba reacts quickest when a free kick via Et-Taïbi lands at the far post, but his effort goes high over. The Blue-Black youngsters, today in white, were warned. And Barberá understood that. The Spaniard dribbles cleverly into the sixteen, but his place ball flies wide of the far post.
On the other side, Rajsel is getting better and better into the game. The experienced man at Dender manages to decide from an acute angle, but Shinton deviates the leather against the post. The reaction of Club NXT U23 does not let up, but both the shot of Vermant and Lenn De Smet hit the fists of goalkeeper Gies. On the half hour Dender takes the game in hand. First the post was a game breaker for the home team, but two minutes later substitute Akman was in the right place. He only has to tap in: 1-0 for FCV Dender.
Club tries to make a fist, but struggles to cross the halfway line. Dender clearly gains confidence after the opening goal and wants to extend their lead immediately. Nsimba had the perfect opportunity to do so just before halftime, but at the same spot where Akman opened the scoring, the attacker headed high over. Club NXT is still alive, and we are resting at 1-0.
