The showdown in the battle for the second promotion ticket in the Kitchen Champion Division will take another half a week. De Graafschap lost points on a visit to Jong Ajax after a 1-1 draw. Go Ahead Eagles (2-1 win over NEC Nijmegen) and Almere City (1-3 win over Jong FC Utrecht) made no mistake and approached the Super Farmers to two points, while the deficit of NAC Breda after a 2-0 win over MVV Maastricht is three points. De Graafschap will receive a visit from Helmond Sport next Wednesday, Go Ahead will play against Excelsior, Almere City will take on Young PSV in-house and NAC will meet champion SC Cambuur in Leeuwarden. Incidentally, the battle for the fourth period title has not yet been decided: Cambuur did win 0-1 against FC Dordrecht, but saw the closest pursuer Go Ahead also make no mistake.
Jong Ajax – De Graafschap 1-1
After De Graafschap had been passionately waved goodbye by the fans on his way to Amsterdam, trainer Mike Snoei had a surprise in store once he arrived at De Toekomst. After it was announced that he will play for NAC Breda next season, Ralf Seuntjens fulfilled a reserve role for weeks, but was now assigned a starting place. The first big chance was after seventeen minutes of play for Seuntjens, who saw his shot being turned by goalkeeper Daan Reiziger. The first goal, however, fell on the other side. Kenneth Taylor was played inside the penalty area, cut out Jordy Tutuarima and hit in the long corner.
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– ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) May 7, 2021
The next opportunity was for Lassina Traoré, who shortly afterwards had to be replaced with an injury by Alex Méndez. De Graafschap showed itself before the break through Elmo Lieftink and Daryl van Mieghem, but got the greatest chance early in the second half. Seuntjens hit the post, after which Enric Llansana just cleared the ball in front of Toine van Huizen sliding in. Shortly afterwards, the latter headed the equalizer against the ropes on a pass from Van Mieghem. Lieftink was then very close to 1-2, but his attempt ended up on the crossbar. In the final phase, Jonathan Opoku emerged in a promising position, after which Reiziger could easily clamp his bet. Despite a fierce final offensive in the ten minutes of injury time – in which Lieftink got another chance, a bet by Ted van de Pavert was taken off the line and Jasper van Heertum shot from close range – De Graafschap did not find the desired goal,
Go Ahead Eagles – NEC Nijmegen 2-1
Go Ahead Eagles was quickly helped in the saddle against number six NEC. Terry Lartey Sanniez lost the ball on the edge of his own penalty area to Luuk Brouwers, who gratefully unwrapped the present and put the opening goal on the scoreboard after just six minutes of play. Twenty minutes later, the home team doubled the margin. Sam Hendriks hit from eleven meters, after Jonathan Okita had knocked out Martijn Berden within the penalty area. Shortly before half time, NEC was helped back into the game. Jordy Bruijn took a foul and signed for the 2-1 himself.
The first opportunities of the second half were for NEC, via Okita and Rangelo Janga. However, the visitors could not convert the predominance in the second half after an initial phase with the necessary possibilities into great opportunities. Ultimately, it was goalkeeper Jay Gorter who kept Go Ahead going. With a feline reflex, he prevented a goal from Bruijn in the short corner. Partly because of this, Go Ahead held out, which means that an Eredivisie ticket and / or the fourth period title can be seized next week.
Jong FC Utrecht – Almere City FC 1-3
Almere was allowed to take a penalty kick in the ninth minute after a foul on John Yeboah. Thomas Verheydt shot it over the crossbar, but fifteen minutes later the visitors got another attempt from eleven meters, when Ryan Koolwijk went down. This time, Verheydt handed the penalty to Daniël Breedijk, who fired in the ball: 0-1. Almere increased the lead with a superb attack from the left. John Yeboah combined with Koolwijk and Verheydt and finished himself in the short corner: 0-2.
Young FC Utrecht brought the tension back 32 seconds after the break. Mees Rijks put the ball wide on Odysseus Velanas, who just came in, who hit from fifteen meters: 1-2. It then rained opportunities for the U23 team from Utrecht, but Jeredy Hilterman and Velanas did not get the ball in. Almere City thus stayed on its feet and decided the game in the 77th minute, when Ilias Alhaft shot the ball in with control: 1-3.
NAC Breda – MVV Maastricht 2-0
At NAC, Maurice Steijn was back on the couch against MVV, after he had been in home quarantine after a trip to Ibiza and was tested negative for the corona virus. It took less than half an hour for the game to be opened. Luc Mares tapped Mounir El Allouchi inside the penalty area, after which the midfielder used the penalty given himself. NAC retained the initiative after the opening goal, which resulted in opportunities for Marouan Azarkan and El Allouchi. NAC, however, failed to build the score and kept MVV in the game. For example, fifteen minutes before the end, Nick Olij suddenly had to save the day when Koen Kostons deployed. After 77 minutes of play, El Allouchi made the decision: the midfielder shot the ball beautifully over the hatched goalkeeper Mike Havekotte and set the final score at 2-0.
FC Dordrecht – SC Cambuur 0-1
After two weeks of celebration, champion Cambuur closes the season with an away match against FC Dordrecht and a home game with NAC Breda. The team of trainer Henk de Jong could secure the fourth period title at De Krommedijk, provided that they won and Go Ahead lost points. After a probing initial phase, the visitors took the lead with 22 minutes on the clock. Referee Stan Teuben put the ball on the spot after a foul on Giovanni Korte, after which Robert Mühren shot goal number 36 of the season against the ropes from eleven meters. Cambuur kept FC Dordrecht alive for a long time and was released with a shock shortly after the break, when a goal from Kevin Jansen was rejected due to offside. Michael Breij then hit the post, but the 0-1 score did not change anymore.
Young PSV – FC Volendam 0-1
The best chances in the opening phase were for Young PSV. Jeremy Antonisse shot wide after a good action, while Nigel Thomas’ hard shot was caught by goalkeeper Nordin Bakker. After half an hour, the first big chance for FC Volendam followed, which saw Martijn Kaars being stopped on the goal line. The right striker managed to score fifteen minutes before the end. Kaars let himself play in the penalty area fifteen minutes before the end and, in his assumption, turned away from his direct opponent, to then slide the ball in low: 0-1. It was for the fifth game in a row that the attacker managed to score. In the final phase, Bakker prevented with a cat-like reflex that Johan Bakayoko could equalize for Young PSV.
Roda JC Kerkrade – FC Eindhoven 2-1
It was the team of trainer Jurgen Streppel who took the lead in the opening phase of the game. Goalkeeper Ruud Swinkels saved on a hard shot by Patrick Pflücke, while Dylan Vente had not focused on his sights twice. Yet Eindhoven took the lead just before half time. After a carom for the hostile goal, Jort van der Sande was able to shoot in somewhat fortunate: 0-1. More than ten minutes after the break, Roda JC came alongside. Mitchel van Rosmalen unfortunately handed the ball in to Vente, who then gave Erik Falkenburg the opportunity to tap in from close range. Ultimately, the Limburgers got what they were entitled to. Kees Luijckx took care of the 2-1 final score more than five minutes before the end on a pass from Ali Messaoud.
Young AZ – Excelsior 2-1
A good attack by Excelsior resulted in the opening goal in the seventh minute. Thomas Oude Kotte sent Elías Már Ómarsson away, who remained calm one-on-one with Beau Reus: 1-0. The AZ promises came back in the game ten minutes later, when Jelle Duin scored from about eight meters: 1-1. Reuven Niemeijer then hit the post from a cross on behalf of the Rotterdam team. Young AZ received a penalty just before half-time, when Yusuf Barasi was tapped from behind. It was again Duin who scored: 2-1. Seventeen-year-old Ernest Poku could have decided the match in the second half, but aimed high in free position. A tackle from Julian Baas on Barasi resulted in the former being red. Ómarsson missed an enormous one-on-one chance to equalize in the final phase.
Helmond Sport – TOP Oss 1-1
In the North Brabant derby it was TOP Oss that rightly took the lead after 43 minutes of play. After Kyvon Leidsman failed to complete a few minutes earlier, eye to eye with goalkeeper Robin Mantel, the striker finally won the game. Leidsman was played by Joshua Jeremiah Sanches and finished cool-blooded: 0-1. Despite the disappointing field game, Helmond Sport came alongside five minutes before the end. Boyd Reith served Lance Duijvestijn from the right side of the field, who skilfully pushed the leather past goalkeeper Bo Geens at the edge of the box: 1-1.
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