Anderlecht remains eight clear

De Sutter scored in the 50th minute and substitute Oleksandr Yakovenko put the finishing touches to the victory right at the death to give Anderlecht a 2-0 away success.

Lokeren remains third in the table, but now trails second-placed Zulte-Waregem by four points.

Zulte-Waregem was a comfortable 2-0 winner over Lierse, which slipped a place to 15th in the 16-team league.

Karel D'Haene put Zulte-Waregem on its way with a 28th-minute opener, and its second goal arrived after 52 minutes with Franck Berrier the scorer.

Beerschot nudged ahead of Lierse after a goalless draw at home against Mons.

With the race for top-six places warming up, Genk, which currently occupies sixth place, fell to a 2-1 defeat against pursuer KV Mechelen.

Mechelen, which climbed to seventh place with the win, four points behind Genk, went ahead through Nicklas Pedersen in the 54th minute. Veteran Thomas Buffel hauled Genk level in the 84th minute, but Mechelen's Abdul-Yakuni Iddi provided a 90th-minute winner.

In lower mid-table, Waasland-Beveren withstood the dismissal of Siebe Blondelle to post a 2-0 home win over OH Leuven.

Blondelle was ordered off in the 56th minute, but Barak Badash made the breakthrough for the host after 73 minutes and Stijn De Smet doubled the lead 10 minutes later.