FC Volendam also showed to be in absolute top shape on Saturday. The team of trainer Wim Jonk was left with three points from the visit to De Graafschap, which meant the fifth victory in a row in the Kitchen Champion Division: 2-5. FC Volendam is now fifth with 21 points from 11 duels, while number three De Graafschap has one more point and one less match. Leader Almere City FC has a small lead with 27 points from 11 duels, but number two SC Cambuur has fewer loss points: 22 points from 9 duels.

An exciting first half ended in 2-2. Mike Snoei took the lead after nine minutes. Daryl van Mieghem took the ball well after a smart pass from Mohamed Hamdaoui and shot the ball hard into the short corner behind Nordin Bakker. Two dompers for De Graafschap followed each other in rapid succession. First the failure of Danny Verbeek and then the 1-1 of FC Volendam. Derry John Murkin took a long ball well, cut Van Mieghem out and tapped the ball through Rody de Boer’s legs.

De Graafschap’s answer followed a few minutes later. After a long throw by Toine van Huizen, Ted van de Pavert headed the ball to the far post, where Elmo Lieftink shot the ball in: 2-1. After half an hour of play, FC Volendam was close to 2-2 when De Boer hit a header from Alex Plat against the crossbar. A few minutes before half time, Jonk’s team was still on the same level. De Graafschap did not pay attention to a corner kick and Volendam benefits optimally through Boy Deul: 2-2.

FC Volendam took the game after the break. Seven minutes after the break, Van de Pavert got the ball unluckily against his outstretched arm and the ball hit the spot. De Boer guessed the intentions of Francesco Antonucci from eleven meters, but was unable to reverse the bet in the left corner. The pace remained high after the break and in the end a blunder ended the game twenty minutes before the end. De Boer ran into problems with a pass-back, tried to play half-falling instead of clearing the ball and Nick Doodeman took advantage. In extra time, the attacker also put the 2-5 on the scoreboard.

FC Volendam has retained twenty points from the last eight duels: six victories, two draws. For De Graafschap, it is only the second loss of the season, after the 7-3 defeat against Young AZ in September. FC Volendam will play at home against TOP Oss on October 20, while De Graafschap will play a catch-up game with NAC Breda on Wednesday.

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