Belgian First Division wrap: Genk, Anderlecht continue top two battle

Racing Genk remain top of the Belgian First Division after an away win over Royal Charleroi, while Anderlecht beat Germinal Beerschot.

Bottom side Charleroi kept visitors Genk goalless for the majority of the first half at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi, but three goals in the space of 11 minutes either side of half-time transformed the match.

Belgium international Marvin Ogunjimi opened the scoring with a strike in the 45th minute, before Charleroi’s Samuel Fabris found the back of the wrong net to see his side go two down.

Ogunjimi notched his second and Genk’s third to effectively put the match beyond reach five minutes into the second half, leaving Brazilian Orlando Costa to score a consolation goal for the hosts in the 75th minute as the match finished 3-1.

Anderlecht defeated Germinal Beerschot 1-0 away from home to remain two points behind Genk, with Brazilian Kanu scoring the only goal in the 57th minute at the Olympisch Stadion.

Anderlecht had highly rated 17-year-old Romelu Lukaku sent off after receiving a second yellow card shortly before the final whistle.

Third-placed Gent lost ground on the top two with an extraordinary 4-4 draw at home to mid-table Westerlo.

The home side held what appeared to be a commanding three-goal lead after strikes from Tim Smolders and Shlomi Arbeitman in the first half and Stijn De Smet in the second.

Filho Paulo Henrique kick-started the Westerlo revival with a brace either side of the hour mark, before Smolders struck again, this time at the wrong end, to make it 3-3.

Guinea international Ibrahima Conte put Gent back in front with a goal in the 78th minute.

Undeterred, Westerlo levelled again through Peruvian forward Daniel Chavez, who found the net in the 90th minute to round off the scoring and secure an unlikely point for the visitors.

Lokeren climbed to fourth with a 3-1 win at home to Mechelen.

Christian Benteke put the visitors ahead at Daknam Stadium, but two goals from Benjamin de Ceulaer and one from Tshinyama Tsholola secured all three points for Lokeren.

St Truiden won 2-1 away to fellow strugglers Lierse SK, while a late brace from Abderazak Jadid helped Eupen come from a goal down to beat KV Kortrijk 3-1 at home.

Kortrijk finished the match with nine men after M’Boye Ilombe received a straight red and Brecht Capon a second yellow.