ADO Den Haag won the make-up game with Excelsior on Tuesday evening: 2-3. The match in Kralingen was recently moved by the KNVB due to several corona cases in the selection of the Rotterdam club. The victory puts ADO in third place in the Kitchen Champion Division, eight points behind leader FC Volendam. The team of coach Ruud Brood goes over Jong Ajax and Excelsior in the stand.
There was a setback for ADO, which lost 5-0 to Roda JC Kerkrade on Friday, in the initial phase of the meeting with Excelsior. Goalkeeper Luuk Koopmans was injured during a save on a shot by Reuven Niemeijer. The closing post was already replaced in the fifth minute by Hugo Wentges. Eljero Elia took care of ADO’s first achievement a few minutes later, after Thomas Verheydt had a good header. However, the wing attacker’s effort ended up in the side net. After fifteen minutes of play, substitute Wentges skilfully saved Thijs Dallinga, who was the top scorer in the Kitchen Champion Division with 25 goals.
Samy Bourard missed a great opportunity in minute 17, but just two minutes later, the attacking midfielder still hit the mark. He headed the ball after very good preparatory work by Amar Catic on the right wing. The industrious Verheydt then tried with a shot from the midline, but goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel was fortunately back in his goal in time for Excelsior. The goalkeeper made his way to the net ten minutes before half-time. Verheydt extended a deflected ball from Bourard and the alert Sem Steijn hit the target with the tip of his shoe: 0-2.
Five minutes before the halftime signal, the tension was back in Rotterdam. Niemeijer outwitted Wentges in the short corner, although the replacement for the injured Koopmans still had his fingertips on it. Eight minutes after the restart, Bourard issued a warning with a shot that sailed just over Excelsior’s goal. After an hour of play, the margin was again two. The outstanding Verheydt got the ball at his feet in a promising position and what followed was his eighteenth goal of this season. ADO then kept looking for goals, which no longer came in the last half hour for Brood’s formation.
The final phase was tense with the goal of Excelsior attacker Couhaib Driouech in the 86th minute. Five minutes earlier, ADO had already been warned by Raphaël Eyongo with a hard bang against the bar. In between, the tired Steijn was relieved at ADO by Tyrese Asante. The four minutes of stoppage time were not enough for Excelsior to avert their second loss in five days. Coach Marinus Dijkhuizen saw his team lose 3-0 to Jong PSV on Friday. Excelsior could have taken over second place from FC Emmen, but has to settle for fourth place due to the defeat against ADO.
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