Soca Warriors defender Sheldon Bateau netted his first league goal of the season for his Belgium Pro League club, Mechelen, but it was all in vain, as they fell 2-3 to Lokeren at the Daknamstadion, Lokeren, on Sunday.
The host took the lead on the half-hour mark through Beshart Abdurahimi but four minutes later Tim Matthys drew Mechelen level to leave both teams 1-1 at the half.
Five minutes after the resumption, Abdurahimi restored his team’s narrow advantage only for 23-year-old Bateau to reply for Mechelen once more off a feed from Matthys.
However, with eight minutes left in the match, Koen Persoons grabbed the decisive item for Lokeren to climb to third with 14 points from eight matches, four behind Anderlecht while Gent is second with 14.
On Saturday, Bateau’s national team-mate, 25-year-old Khaleem Hyland came on in the 66th minute to help his Racing Genk hold onto a 2-1 lead over Mouscron-Peruwelz at the Stade Le Canonnier, Mouscron, improving to eight spot with 11 points.
Hyland and Bateau have already faced off this season with the latter coming out on top 3-1 after Hyland had given his team a seventh minute lead only to be red-carded in the 53rd back on July 27.
Over in the Slovakian Super League, T&T winger Lester Peltier and defending champions Slovan Bratislava was held 1-1 by D Streda to lie third with 16 points from eight matches six adrift of Zilina.
Zilina has played three matches more, while Trencin, Peltier’s former club is third with 21 from nine.