Lierse were well beaten in their first home match back in first division on Friday evening. Standard found the net four times, with Lierse scoring just once. Mo Wahed was passed fit and was included in the squad, which otherwise remained unchanged. Cavens started the match in place of Kevin Janssens. Just before the match Tomasz Radzinski was also forced to drop out. The Canadian striker was suffering from stomach flu, and was obliged to leave the Aldheim Hotel, where the team was staying, early.
The 'Rouches' were considered before the match to be there for the taking, and at the start of the game Lierse showed that they believed in their chances. The home team took the initiatiave and were able to translate that into chances. The match was only two minutes old when Cavens tried his luck from outside the penalty area. Sinan Bolat saving well low down. The next chance was also for the yellow blacks: Dodo Elgabas with a good run down the right wing, he cut inside, a cross-cum-shot followed, but Bolat snuffed out the danger. The first thret from Standard ws an effort from Daerden from distance which sailed way over. A few minutes later a cross from Cyriac, Van Hemert did just enough to hinder the tall Benteke so that he fired over.
On fifteen minutes Cyriac again in the area, Bruno Camacho tried to stop him but took his legs: penalty. Witsel took the spot kick and sent the diving Kawashima the wrong way, a slightly flattering 0-1 lead for the visitors. Lierse were not put off their stride and immediately countered. Dodo was played in down the right. The young Egyptian laid the ball back to Akwetey Mensah but his shot went over. Standard started to gain confidence now and applied pressure. The yellow card for Defour after a hard kick on the ankles of Lance Davids was somewhat unnecessary. In the move which followed Dequevy headed over. Lierse began to find life more difficult and that was apparent in the one on oness. This time the South African Davids was the offender. A tackle resulted in a booking.
A minute later the home team got what they wanted so much. Akwetey Mensah with a ball over the defence. A good run from Cavens, took the ball down well, and lobbed superbly over the onrushing Bolat: 1-1 and party time at the Lisp. The Rouches knew what they had to do and immediately went about trying to restore their lead. Kawashima and his defence with some last minute interventions thwarted them.
The game was ebbing and flowingn. Vandooren with a cross from the left, ball bouncing off Davids back, both Job and Dodo tried to profit but Bolat gathered at the second attempt.
Just past the half hour Camacho committed a foul on the edge of the area. Carcela behind the ball. His low hard free kick was central, but the wall jumped, Kawashima was taken by surprise and left helpless: 1-2. Lierse wanted to set this straight before the break and they had the opportunity to do it. From a good counter Cavens launched the ball into the Standard penalty box. Bolat had all the difficulty in the world to prevent the home side from equalising.
One further counter from Standard just before the interval, Witsel played himself into space but his shot was too central.
After the break the first chance was for Lierse. Cavens with a free kick, the resulting loose ball came to Vandooren who shot hard. The ball took a deflection and went just wide. Vandooren was injured in this passage of play and was replaced a few minutes later by Mo Wahed making his debut in the top division. In the meantime there was a nice effort on goal from Steven Defour, who was just off target. The tempo of the game dropped. Carcela then decided the course of the match. He wanted originally to pick out a team mate but got the ball back via the head of Van Hemert. What followed was sublime. Outside of his left foot, ball perfectly into the top left hand corner of Kawashima's goal: 1-3. Pocognoli obviously thought he could match that five minutes from the end. He had time and space on the left and beautifully lobbed the ball into the same corner as Carcela had done.
Lierse had to bow to the better team, as Standard booked their first win of the season. The Yellow Blacks will have to pick themselves up for a big derby game at KV Mechelen next weekend.
Lierse: Kawashima, Vandooren (Wahed), Van Hemert, Davids, Camacho, Dequevy (Douala), De Graef, Mensah, Job, Cavens, Elgabas
Booked: Davids (foul)
