Zulte Waregem finally have a win to show for their efforts as they overpowered a hugely disappointing Standard Liege side for a well-deserved 3:1 home win on Thursday. Maxime Lestienne got the opener for the visiting side midway through the first half but Essevee went on to boss the game as Hamdi Harbaoui equalised ten minutes later and then scored another 20 minutes into the second hand. Mamadou Sylla scored a third soon after but was then sent off ten minutes before the end.

It was a fairly slow and ordinary start of the game as Zulte Waregem looked a bit more insistent in their attacks but failed to really trouble the opposition defence. Standard lacked dynamism in their attacks initially but managed to take the lead from their decent semi-dangerous move as a cross from Moussa Djenepo on the left reached Lestienne inside the area and the winger got above Erdin Demir to head into the bottom corner.

The hosts, having endured such a horrible run of form, might have shrunk even more but instead they clenched their fists and just went for it after that goal. It was a complete one-way traffic for the rest of the first half as the Essevee just blew away a very static visiting side. Theo Bongonda had a good shot from the left-hand side of the area parried by the keeper and then Harbaoui saw a close-range shot blocked well in front of the line by Nekadi Luyindama.

But the next chance resulted in a deserved equaliser as a corner was nodded down to Harbaoui and he forced the ball home from close range. The home side continued to threaten and Bongonda passed up a good chance after a lighting-quick counter, with a low shot on the edge of the area gathered by Guillermo Ochoa.

The second half continued with more attacking pressure by the side from Waregem as Bongonda surged into vacated space on the left but then fired a low shot that was blocked by the feet of the goalie. Sammy Bossut was finally called into action on the other end when he tipped just over the bar a well-struck pilediver from 23 yards out by Samuel Bastien.

Essevee remained the more dangerous side as Ochoa once again made a decent save, parrying a powerful shot by Florian Tardieu. The next chance for the home side eventually saw them grab the lead as Sylla sent a cross from the right and Harbaoui sent a diving header from point-blank range past the goalie. And within three minutes the hosts delivered a knockout blow to score a third as Nill de Pauw picked out Sylla with a cross from the left and the latter drilled a good low shot past the goalie and into the left corner.

The visiting side never looked like recovering, with De Pauw dispossessing Luyindama and missing a good chance when clear against the keeper, who also saved by Harbaoui on the follow-up. Orlando Sa sent a weak effort into the hands of the goalie after a loose ball fell to him inside the box as Standard faded. The home side played the closing stages with ten men as Sylla made connected with Collins Fai's neck as he challenged for a high ball but they saw the game out without too many nerves.

Francky Dury will be plain relieved and delighted with the display from his side as they got their just rewards for a gutsy and determined showing against an opponent containing some top players. It is a result that could transform their season after a horrible early run and they have the quality to quickly climb up the table. That was an immensely frustrating day in the office for Standard as they just lacked the audacity and drive to take control of the game and shrunk when put under pressure, even if they got the early lead. It is yet another display of their inconsistency in a season that has been hard to make sense of so far.