De Graafschap experienced a dramatic evening in Alkmaar on Monday evening. The team of trainer Mike Snoei went off the field with a 7-3 defeat against Young AZ. To make matters worse, De Graafschap also lost captain Ralf Seuntjens with an apparently serious injury.

Young AZ swept over De Graafschap like a whirlwind in the first half. In the fourteenth minute, Mohamed Taabouni opened the score by hitting the far corner after a cross from Zakaria Aboukhlal: 1-0. Seven minutes later, Aboukhlal himself signed for AZ’s second goal, after defender Jordy Tutuarima handed the ball in just like that: 2-0. Thijs Oosting then headed in the 3-0 at the far post, after a perfect cross from Maxim Gullit from the left flank.

That wasn’t the end of it for the Alkmaarders, as Hakon Evjen scored seven minutes before half time after a beautiful individual action. The midfielder dribbled into De Graafschap’s sixteen and found the far corner with the left: 4-0. Three minutes later Evjen released Taabouni for goalkeeper Rody de Boer, who had no chance on the use of the right winger: 5-0.

Ralf Seuntjens did something back for De Graafschop on the stroke of half time, by tapping in a rebound: 5-1. Shortly afterwards, Seuntjens sustained an apparently serious ankle injury after a kick from Tijs Velthuis, who got yellow. De Graafschap continued to believe in a result after the break and was reinforced by an early goal. Elmo Lieftink promoted a shot by Daryl van Mieghem with his body to a goal: 5-2.

However, De Graafschap was unable to push through afterwards. It was precisely Young AZ that scored again. Tijani Reijnders came in from the left flank and placed the ball from about seventeen meters beautifully in the far corner: 6-2. Evjen was then sent off with a second yellow card and Van Mieghem did something back for De Graafschap, by filling in a high cross in one go: 6-3. The final chord was for Aboukhlal, who cleared the ball from Jasper van Heertum: 7-3.

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