In the first half there was little to enjoy. Both Lierse and Union produced scrappy football. Lierse almost took the lead just before the break via Janssens, but he hit the bar. After Cavens came in for the start of the second half, Lierse played better. Janssens opened the scoring, knocking in a rebound from a hard shot from Wahed. Union also had some great chances, but couldn’t score when the ball was twice clered from the Lierse goal line. When Jarju put Cavens through, the game was won: 2-0.

Lierse: Van der Jeugt, Frans, De Corte, De Witte, Janssens (Omar 65′), Wahed, Rimkus (Bojovic 61′), Buyens, Samir, Jarju, Develer (Cavens 46′)
Union St. Gilles: Kudimbana, Siani, Kéromest, Préseaux, Oulai, Peeters, Stassin (Habarugia 46′), Kage (Buelinckx 65′), Mokulu, Ngolok (Dehamla 77′), Martens
Booked: Dehamla
Goals: Janssens 1-0 (53′), Cavens 2-0 (76′)

On Lierse TV you can watch footage of the first and second half.

The Board of K.Lierse S.K. has given the research office Sports Marketing Business the task of organising a large survey. In this way Lierse wants to get a feel of how football lovers, and also local inhabitants of the Kempen, think about the idea of the development of a top club in their area. In other words, if there is sufficient support for such an idea.

The investigation consists of three parts:
- A qualitative in-depth investigation of Lierse supporters; supporters of other clubs in the region; average football lovers in the area
- a qualitative investigation investigation into the receptivity of such a club via phone interviews
- A live survey in the stands to add the emotional supporters component to the investigation
The live surveys will be carried out on Wednesday 23rd April, at the match between K.Lierse S.K and Union St. Gilloise. About forty researchers will be in the stands.

In any case we’ll keep you posted on the results.

After the disappointed reaction from Chris Janssens after the defeat at Deinze, Lierse’s captain looks forward to the upcoming matches full of confidence.

Chris Janssens: “I was very disappointed after the match on Saturday, and although I’m an eternal optimist, I thought it was over for us. I thought after such a performance, it was difficult to think otherwise.
But we’ve put our heads together, and are going full throttle into the next 3 matches. If you look at the results of rivals Antwerp and KVSK United, we have to conclude that nothing has really changed, other than we have one less match to close the gap. It’s simple really, we first have to look at ourselves and win the next 3 matches, and then hope that Antwerp, only win maximum 2 of their next 3, which are all away from home.
Than you get the match to decide 5th place on the last day of the season at the Bosuil (home of Antwerp), and then we have to do it there. Let’s begin by winning our match tomorrow, and hope that Antwerp don’t win theirs. They’re playing at Waasland, who still need a few points to be safe, and at home they don’t give many goals away. Our other rival, United, could also slip up, because they still have to play Tubize twice. So it doesn’t look as bad as last weekend.”

But if Lierse wants to win their own matches, they’ll have to play a lot better than last Saturday?
Janssens: “That’s right, and we know that too. Many lads played under par at Deinze, and realise that only too well. Everyone is well aware that we have to pull ourselves together, and respond with a resounding performance, for ourselves, the club, and especially for the fans, who were so present in numbers at Deinze. Tomorrow we have to fight for every square centimetre of ground, it’s all or nothing. In any case we can put out our best
side, as Jarju is back, who is so important for our team.”

To still have a chance to make the play-offs, you have indeed to win the next 3 matches, but previously this season Lierse has been unable to put together 3 successive victories?
Janssens: “That indeed appears to have been our biggest problem in recent weeks. We have to believe that it’s possible, we realise that everything is still possible, provided that we give 100% effort, starting tomorrow, our first victim has to be Union.”

For the home match on Wednesday against Union, the technical staff can count again on Thomas De Corte, who returns from suspension, and Mustapha Jarju (eye injury). The Gambian topscorer went to the doctor this afternoon, and got the all clear.
The following players are still out injured; Jarju (eye), Mertens (adductor), Peeters (achilees) and Ventose (stomach muscle).
Ernandes and Vleminckx drop out of the squad selection, Meyers and Weuts play with the reserves tonight.

The 16-man squad:
Petar Bojovic, Yoni Buyens, Jurgen Cavens, Thomas De Corte, Seth De Witte, Kane Develer, Frederik Frans, Nathan Goris, Chris Janssens, Charlie Miller, Mohammed Omar, Lorenzo Rimkus, Achmed Samir, Sven Van der Jeugt, Jerome Van der Zijl and Mohammed Wahed

K.Lierse S.K and Wadi Degla are supporting two social projects in Lier, De Stappaert and Ons Gedacht, so the club confirmed today at a press conference at the Lier Town hall.

For every goal that the first team scores, each of these projects will receive 500 Euro. The initiative has been taken to give something back to the town of Lier, and then preferably to those people who need it most.

De Stappaert
VZW De Stappaert has offered shelter and counselling for ten years for youngsters with problems in Lier and the surrounding area. ” We strive for social and society reintegration of problem youngsters. In the system we coach young people to be able to live alone and support themselves. Furthermore we offer residential shelter in two houses for five girls and six boys from the ages of 17-25,” says Herman Hauquier. “The work of our leaders centres around teaching of financial and administrative management,
employment or studying, behaviour and household tasks. The target public include, amongst others, victims of incest, young delinquents, youngsters with educational problems and the homeless. Annually we coach forty-odd youngsters towards an indedpendent life,” added Herman.

Ons Gedacht
Ons Gedacht is the ‘Lierse Association where the poor have their say”. Every Tuesday between 11.00 - 13.00, you are welome in our talkshop for a cup of coffee, a listening ear or a cosy chat. Every two months we come together in the Kluis. Then we talk about what we want to see change with the poor in Lier. We start the evenng with a nice bread meal.

Both projects were chosen in consultation with mayoress Marleen Vanderpoorten.

Chairman Leo Theyskens: ” We, Maged Samy and myself, and the people on the Lierse Board, have alraedy toyed with the idea for a while of giving something back to the town. Lier and its inhabitants have always stayed supporting us, also when we had difficult times. Therefore we wanted, now it’s going better for our club, to support these projects. Because the idea developed just before our match against Tienen, the counter starts from there. That’s to say that we have alraedy scored six goals. One against Tienen, four against Beveren, and one against Eupen. Therefore both De Stappaert and Ons Gedacht are assured of 3000 Euro. And of course the season isn’t over yet.”

A deposit of the total balance was handed over today during the press conference to the representatives of De Stappaert and Ons Gedacht.

Lierse lost crucial ground tonight in the battle for the play-offs. They lost 1-0 in Deinze whilst rivals Antwerp were held 2-2 at home by Virton.
Herman Helleputte gave his reaction after the match:

Helleputte: We knew beforehand that it would be difficult. Pity that our top scorer Jarju dropped out of the selection with an eye injury. We missed the depth which he can find. The great chance for Buyens was a crucial moment.
Had that gone in it was a different game.

Perhaps we were the better team, but we had to always look out for the Deinze counters, in which Thompson was always strong on the ball and posed a constant threat. We also had bad luck with the free kick against the bar, but I thought that especially in the first half we played too slow and made too little use of the flanks, where there was a lot of space, Samir especially had a lot of freedom on the left.
The trainer didn’t necessarily think Deinze better in the second half:
I wouldn’t dare to say that Deinze was better in the second half. We tried to pressurize but then the counters were more dangerous. Then there was the shot against the bar from Wahed and Develer’s quick break on goal. But we created too few chances in the second half to say that we played well. I saw too little winning drive in our team in this match, which is a great pity as Antwerp drew and so we could have done a fantastic job.
Is Lierse not quite good enough for the top five?
We haven’t been able to win three consecutive games once this season. We don’t have a team to put together a run, we’re too inconsistent. We play well in patches, but then come out too rarely as winners. Look at the statistics: if we go behind, we lose.

Lierse: Van der Jeugt, Omar (Bojovic 46′), De Witte, Janssens, Buyens, Cavens (Develer 60′), Rimkus, Frans, Miller, Wahed, Samir
Booked: Rimkus, Bojovic, Frans
Deinze: Vandoorne, Houze, Buysens, Blancke, Thompson, Cousin, Deschacht, Velghe, Hermans, Vanbrabander, De Wulf
Booked: De Wulf
On Lierse TV you can watch the footage of the game.
Pictures of the Match/Players.
Pictures of the Supporters

The KBVB (Belgian Football Association) has granted Lierse a “paid football licence.” So as confirmed by Lierse chairman Leo Theyskens.
Lierse receive the licence for both first and second division, along with 10 other second division clubs.

The technical staff has announced their 15-man squad for the away match at Deinze on Saturday.
Compared to last week there is only 1 change, De Corte takes Miller’s place on the sidelines through suspension (1 match).  After tonight’s reserve match (19.30 on the Lisp), a 16th player will be selected from Ernandes, Van der Zijl, Vleminckx or Weuts.
Peeters (achilles), Mertens (adductor muscles) and Ventose (stomach muscle) are all out injured.

The 15-man selection:
Petar Bojovic, Jurgen Cavens, Seth De Witte, Kane Develer, Frederik Frans, Nathan Goris, Chris Janssens, Mustapha Jarju, Charlie Miller, Omar Mohammed, Lorenzo Rimkus, Samir Achmed, Sven Van der Jeugt and Wahed Mohammed

On Tuesday evening the Lierse Reserves won 2-0 against a Brazilian selection of (i) Golden Canaries and (ii) from the CTI-IBISS.

Some A-team players were in the Reserves team; Ernandes, Vleminckx, Vanderzijl, Mertens, Weuts, Meyers and Goris. Also a trialist took part for Lierse, Helio Rolha Neto, a 23-tear old Brazilian midfielder.

The CTI-team had already played a match earlier in the day (vs PSV), and that was noticeable. Goalkeeper Dos Santos had his hands full for the first quarter of an hour, and made a few outstanding saves from efforts from Vanderzijl, Develer and Goyvaerts.
Ernandes hit the crossbar with a free kick, but it was 1-0 after half an hour. Vleminckx with a long free kick to the far post, Dos Santos missed it, and Develer was able to easily head in.
The Brazilians only threatened once, Dias couldn’t quite slip the ball home at the far post.

In the second half CTI played a bit better, but Lierse’s lead never looked under threat. Just before the end Mertens made it 2-0 from an assist from Develer.

Lierse: Goris, Vleminckx, Vanderzijl, Goyvaerts, Smet, Weuts, Mertens, Meyers (’75 Gys), Develer, Helio (’65 Mulop), Ernandes

CTI: Dos Santos A, Vieira, Alex, Anderson, Moraes, Dias, Araulo, Diego, Gabriel, Alexandre, Thiago

Tonight the Lierse Reserves play against a Brazilian selection. Kick Off on the Lisp is at 19.30, entrance is free.

The young Brazilian players come from the training centre of IBISS, they’re staying and training in Lier this week, and play 2 practice matches.
On Thursday they play at Berlaar against FC Kempen.

Click here for more info on IBISS