FC Volendam will have the opportunity to visit FC Den Bosch next Friday to secure direct promotion to the Eredivisie. ADO Den Haag failed to reduce the gap with the number two of the Kitchen Champion Division to six points on Tuesday-evening. After the remaining 64 minutes of the previously suspended game with Jong PSV, the scoreboard in The Hague was 2-2.
The match between ADO and Jong PSV was stopped on March 12 after 26 minutes of play at a 0-1 score (goal by Johan Bakayoko), after the stadium lights went out twice due to a power failure. Remarkably enough, prior to the remainder, there were again problems with the light poles: one of the four stadium lamps initially refused to come on. Shortly before eight, the light pole still came on, so that the game could be resumed a few minutes after the scheduled start time.
Bizarre coincidence: Stadium lights cause problems at ADO again
For a long time, the question was whether football could be played at all.
In the nineteen minutes remaining in the first half, the best opportunities were for ADO, via Thomas Verheydt and Samy Bourard. Young PSV only showed themselves for the first time after the ten-minute break – in which a fluorescent beam came loose above a section with ADO fans – with a shot by Bakayoko. With 55 minutes on the clock, ADO managed to clear the deficit that had accumulated a month ago. Goalkeeper Kjell Peersman had an answer to Ricardo Kishna’s effort, but could not prevent Verheydt from scoring the 1-1 from the rebound.
Nigel Thomas gave PSV the lead again soon after, after he was wrongly whistled back for offside shortly before. After having outplayed two men, he scored the 1-2 in the short corner. However, ADO was not put off by the Eindhoven goal: Peersman initially saved on a bet by Verheydt, but a minute later had no chance on a header from the striker. With the start of the Hague fifteen minutes, Kishna was close to the first lead of the game. Bakayoko was still dangerous on behalf of Jong PSV, but there was no change in the tie.
ADO occupies sixth place in the Kitchen Champion Division due to the draw, with 63 points. Excelsior and Roda JC Kerkrade have the same number of points, while FC Eindhoven occupies third place with one point more. However, FC Eindhoven is seven points behind FC Volendam, which means that FC Volendam can assure itself of promotion on Friday with a win over FC Den Bosch. In that case, the team of trainer Wim Jonk can no longer be traced by the closest pursuers after two more matches.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | † | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Emmen | 35 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 36 | 77 |
| 2 | FC Volendam | 35 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 28 | 71 |
| 3 | FC Eindhoven | 35 | 19 | 7 | 9 | 24 | 64 |
| 4 | Roda JC Kerkrade | 35 | 17 | 12 | 6 | 29 | 63 |
| 5 | Excelsior | 35 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 63 |
| 6 | Ado den Haag | 35 | 21 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 63 |
| 7 | Young Ajax | 35 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 59 |
| 8 | NAC Breda | 35 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 55 |
| 9 | The County | 35 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 5 | 51 |
| 10 | VVV Venlo | 35 | 13 | 5 | 17 | -10 | 44 |
| 11 | FC Den Bosch | 35 | 13 | 4 | 18 | -19 | 43 |
| 12 | Young PSV | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | -2 | 41 |
| 13 | TOP Oss | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | -9 | 41 |
| 14 | Almere City FC | 35 | 10 | 8 | 17 | -9 | 38 |
| 15 | Young AZ | 35 | 11 | 5 | 19 | -13 | 38 |
| 16 | Telstar | 35 | 8 | 11 | 16 | -23 | 35 |
| 17 | Young FC Utrecht | 35 | 10 | 4 | 21 | -25 | 34 |
| 18 | MVV Maastricht | 35 | 10 | 3 | 22 | -34 | 33 |
| 19 | FC Dordrecht | 35 | 8 | 8 | 19 | -26 | 32 |
| 20 | Helmond Sports | 35 | 7 | 6 | 22 | -30 | 24 |
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