KV Mechelen missed another chance for a victory. Fred Vanderbiest's side played out a 0-0 draw at Lommel SK on Saturday evening, matchday seven, leaving them with just three points from seven league games.
The Malinwa had possession and control but could not find a goal. The best opportunity came late when Thibault Mbasi, after an interception by Nikolaos Raman in the box, saw his shot deflected by a tackle from Jort van Duiven. At the other end, twenty-year-old goalkeeper Kacper Pieklak kept a clean sheet with several key saves, including a stop from Boersma at a sharp angle and a header from Reyners. Lommel, who had started with zero points, took a first point from the game.
Manager Fred Vanderbiest had little blame for his players afterwards. "We had possession and control," he said. "We also knew we shouldn't attack blindly, because Lommel is very strong on the counter. We neutralised that well." He announced the next three weeks would be focused solely on finishing.
The draw means KV Mechelen are still searching for their first league win after seven matches. The team currently sits 16th in the Jupiler Pro League with two points from six games, seventeen points behind the leaders. Their recent form is concerning, with just two draws and three defeats in their last five league outings. The standings illustrate the precarious position.
For Lommel boss Lee Johnson, the point was a positive result given the injury crisis in his squad. "Especially when you look at the many injured players we have," he reacted. "Seven to eight players would normally start or be on the bench. I'm happy with the performance today."
Vanderbiest made changes in the second half, bringing on Antonio and Decoene for Michez and Marijnissen, but it did not produce a breakthrough. The defence, with Decherf trusted for the closing stages, remained solid. The attacking statistics, however, are lean: just five goals scored in six league matches this season. Top scorer M. Van Brederode has three of them but could not score against his former club.
The next opportunity for three points comes in a few weeks, when KV Mechelen host St. Truiden at home on 10 October. The full fixtures are available online. The squad must work hard in the coming period to solve their finishing problems, because as Vanderbiest stated, with three draws you don't get far.
The original report is at Sporza Voetbal
