Saturday, October 2, 2021 at 20:37• Jeroen van Poppel

RKC Waalwijk and Go Ahead Eagles shared the points on Saturday evening in an exciting relegation cracker. The team from Deventer took the lead early in the game via a tap from Iñigo Cordoba, which was made up for in the second half by RKC via a penalty from Alexander Büttner: 1-1. In the final phase, Go Ahead saw a header by Isac Lidberg disallowed. The visitors are therefore stuck in twelfth place, while RKC is fifteenth.

Within fifteen minutes, Go Ahead took the lead with a quick counterattack. Ragnar Oratmangoen was released on the left and brought in the ball, where Iñigo Cordoba was able to tap in fairly easily: 0-1. RKC tried sparingly and came through twice over the left flank, from where Büttner served Jens Odgaard twice. The striker first saw a shot fail from the turn and then a heel behind his standing leg had the same fate.

Odgaard had a much better shot chance after a pass in the busy penalty area of ​​Melle Meulensteen, but hit the ball badly and aimed wide. Shortly after the break, RKC midfielder Vurnon Anita aimed a few meters wide after Odgaard put back well. Go Ahead saw a goal by Giannis-Fivos Botos disallowed because the attacking midfielder was offside by a meter when he was played.

RKC kept pushing and earned a penalty when Saïd Bakari hit the ball against Joris Kramer’s hand. From eleven meters, the Waalwijkers were leveled by Büttner: 1-1. RKC came close to the lead via substitute Achraf El Bouchataoui, who saw his dangerous shot narrowly tapped from the far corner by Warner Hahn. Go Ahead became dangerous via Oratmangoen, who dribbled in from the right and fired a shot from sixteen yards. With great difficulty, this was turned around in two instances by Etiënne Vaessen. Lidberg seemed to give Go Ahead the lead moments later by winning the game against the RKC goalkeeper. The latter was protected by referee Erwin Blank, who disallowed the goal.