Westerlo dominate friendly to ease past Dunkerque

USL Dunkerque and KVC Westerlo served up an entertaining encounter at the Stade de la Licorne, though the Belgian visitors left little doubt about their superiority over the course of ninety minutes. The hosts started with reasonable intent but found themselves chasing the game for large periods. A respectable crowd settled in for what would become a convincing demonstration of attacking intent from the away side.

Westerlo struck first when they found the net in the 32nd minute, establishing an early advantage that they would never relinquish. Dunkerque responded positively and pulled level through A. Lebeau in the 57th minute, breathing life back into the contest and giving the home supporters genuine hope of salvaging something from the match. For a brief moment, it appeared Dunkerque might build momentum from their goal.

Any thoughts of a comeback evaporated quickly as Westerlo reasserted their authority with two goals in quick succession. The visitors extended their lead in the 86th minute before adding a fourth in the 89th minute to seal a comfortable victory. Dunkerque's defence simply could not cope with the intensity and movement of their Belgian opponents during the closing stages. The final whistle confirmed a 3-1 defeat that reflected the clear gulf in performance between the two sides.

For Dunkerque, this friendly served as a reality check ahead of their competitive campaign, with significant work needed defensively and in transition play. Westerlo, meanwhile, will take considerable encouragement from their attacking display and the clinical finishing shown late on. Both teams will use the experience gained here as they push forward with their respective preparations for the season ahead.