RFC Wetteren vs Gullegem Match Recap - Oct 19, 2025

Stalemate at Marcel De Kerpelstadion Leaves RFC Wetteren and Gullegem Searching for Answers as Winless Streaks Linger

On a gray autumn afternoon in Wetteren, the mood matched the weather: heavy skies and an anxious hush settled over the Marcel De Kerpelstadion, where RFC Wetteren and Gullegem battled to a 1-1 draw that felt more like an uneasy truce than a resolved contest. For both sides, locked in the lower reaches of Belgium’s Second Amateur Division – VFV A, the result extended their respective spells without momentum, and left supporters wondering whether either could muster the consistency required to climb out of the mire.

The match unfolded as a microcosm of their seasons—moments of promise undone by familiar frailties. Wetteren, entering the day with just six points and one win from their opening seven fixtures, were desperate to break the cycle of short-lived optimism followed by disappointment. Gullegem, marginally better with eight points in as many games, arrived with a vital three-point cushion and recent evidence of attacking verve, having dispatched Mechelen II with authority the previous weekend.

From the outset, the tension was palpable. Early exchanges were cagey, each side probing for weaknesses without exposing their own. Wetteren’s midfield, marshaled by their tireless captain, sought to dictate tempo and feed chances to their lone striker, whose physical presence unsettled Gullegem’s back line. Yet it was Gullegem who drew first blood. Midway through the first half, a sharp sequence down the right flank culminated in a well-measured cross. Gullegem’s number nine, arriving late and unmarked, guided his header past the sprawling keeper—an emphatic finish to an incisive move.

The goal, however, galvanized Wetteren. With the home crowd urging them on, the hosts pressed higher up the pitch. A pivotal moment arrived just before the interval. Wetteren’s right winger, weaving through tight spaces on the edge of the penalty area, drew a foul as he attempted to carve open the defense. The ensuing free kick was lofted with precision, and Wetteren’s center-back—charging forward with purpose—met the delivery with a towering header that caromed off the bar before nestling into the net. The stadium erupted, belief flickering to life.

The second half saw both teams oscillate between caution and ambition. Gullegem, eager to reclaim their lead, shifted to a more direct approach, repeatedly testing Wetteren’s defense with high balls and angled passes. Yet the home side held firm, their goalkeeper producing two crucial saves as the hour mark passed: one a diving parry to keep out a stinging drive, the other a sprawling effort to deny Gullegem’s winger after a slick exchange left him clear.

Tempers frayed as time wore on. Referee Timmermans brandished a yellow for dissent after a foul halted a dangerous Gullegem counter, and in the 76th minute, tension flared further. Wetteren’s midfielder, already cautioned, lunged recklessly into a challenge—the whistle shrilled, and the official reached for his pocket. For a moment, the home supporters held their breath, fearing a second booking, but the referee opted for a stern lecture, sparing Wetteren a numerical disadvantage.

With both teams wary of risking too much, the final minutes turned attritional. Gullegem pressed furiously for a winner, launching bodies forward and forcing a desperate goal-line clearance in the dying moments. Wetteren, meanwhile, glimpsed a late chance when a hopeful ball into the box ricocheted invitingly, but their striker could only muster a scuffed shot that trickled wide. As the final whistle sounded, players on both sides slumped to the turf—exhausted, frustrated, and no closer to escaping the quicksand of mid-table.

The draw leaves Wetteren rooted in 13th place, now with just one win in their last five outings and points accrued mainly through stubborn resilience rather than attacking fluency. Their recent run—three draws interspersed with defeats and just a solitary win—has yielded precious little comfort, with the season’s early optimism now a distant memory. Gullegem, slipping one rung above into 12th, have fared marginally better, mixing spirited performances with similar lapses.

A glance at their head-to-head history offers little solace to either camp. Previous encounters have yielded draws and narrow margins; neither side has managed to assert dominance, and this latest stalemate only adds to the pattern.

For Wetteren, the path ahead is fraught. Their inability to convert promising spells into decisive results is threatening to calcify into habit. The looming fixtures offer no respite, and unless they can rediscover the clinical edge that powered their lone victory last month—a 3-0 triumph over Sparta Petegem—they may find themselves dragged further into danger.

Gullegem, meanwhile, must reconcile flashes of attacking creativity with defensive lapses that have cost them dearly. The win over Mechelen II suggests they possess the tools to trouble higher-ranked opponents, but consistency is required if they hope to transform tight draws into valuable wins.

As dusk settled over Marcel De Kerpelstadion, the scoreboard reflected the reality: 1-1, another point but not quite progress. For both Wetteren and Gullegem, the urgent question lingers—can either seize control of their own narrative before autumn gives way to winter, and the margins between hope and regret grow ever thinner?