Francs Borains ground out a 3-0 victory over Lokeren-Temse in the fourth round of the Challenger Pro League on Saturday afternoon. The hosts took all three points at home, closing out a match where they controlled the tempo rather than the territory. And here's the thing — they did not need to dominate possession to dictate proceedings.
Aboubacar Ali opened the scoring in the 41st minute, giving the home side a half-time lead they would not relinquish. Lokeren-Temse had more of the ball but struggled to convert their advantage into clear-cut chances. By then, the visitors were already searching for answers after the break.
Maxime Bastian proved the match-winner with two goals. He doubled the lead in the 71st minute before adding a second in the 80th to put the result beyond doubt. The pair of substitutions in the 62nd minute, when Rune Van Den Bergh was replaced by A. Brrou, seemed to shift momentum in the home side's favour. Bastian himself was brought off in stoppage time, having done enough.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over dominance. Francs Borains held just 39 per cent possession but registered seven shots on target from eleven attempts, while their opponents managed four on target from ten shots. The visitors accumulated more attacks — 91 to 81 — but the quality of their finishing simply was not there. Three yellow cards for the hosts against one for Lokeren-Temse reflected a tighter, more physical approach.
Both sides enter this stage with identical records: two wins and one defeat from three games, each sitting on six points. Lokeren-Temse occupy sixth place, Francs Borains eighth, but this result will have lifted the home supporters in particular. A fourth straight win would have been ambitious, but three points on the bounce is progress nonetheless.