EREDIVISIE: Ajax 2-1 Heracles |

SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2014

AJAX 2 – 1 HERACLES

Ajax returned to winning ways rather unconvincingly against manager-less Heracles who suffered their fifth straight defeat, still searching for their first point writes Will Burns.

Amsterdam coach Frank de Boer began the game with young Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, a loanee from Bayer Leverkusen, up front in place of Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, with possibly thoughts of Wednesday’s Champions League home clash against Ligue 1 money men Paris Saint-Germain. The 20-year old was the scorer of both goals in this win and maybe gave De Boer food for thought for his future selections.

Milik fired out of the blocks and grabbed his first goal within a minute. Danish midfielder Lasse Schöne threaded a poor ball through which Milik had to work on and overpower Heracles defender Bart Schenkeveld. The Pole did wonderfully to knock the big defender off the challenge and smash a low drive across Dennis Telgenkamp’s goal to send the ArenA into raptures.

The defending champions had plenty of chances to kill the game off but depended on Milik to find the second goal on the stroke of half-time. After some great work from young winger Anwar El-Ghazi skipping through Heracles’ challenges, Milik cut inside to fire home from the edge of the area.

Thomas Bruns saw his close range effort saved from Jasper Cillessen just after the restart which fired a warning to Ajax that Heracles may be down but certainly not out. The visitors gained the majority of the possession but failed to bother the Dutch international goalkeeper until four minutes remaining.

Substitute Bas Sibum easily sent a cross over without a decent challenge from Nicolas Boilesen and Wout Weghorst nodded an excellent header into Cillessen’s goal. The relegation contenders then gave Ajax a torrid time as the time wore on, however Ajax held on for the win.

TEAMS

AJAX: Cillessen, Van Rhijn, Veltman, Moisander, Boilesen (Zimling 61), Klaassen (Duarte 75), Viergever, Serero, El Ghazi, Milik, Schöne (Andersen 62).

SUBS NOT USED: Boer, Van der Hoorn, Sigthorsson, Ligeon.

GOALS: Milik 3, 45+1.

BOOKINGS: Milik 74, Duarte 90+3.

HERACLES: Telgenkamp, Te Wierik, Schenkeveld, Veldmate, Engberink, Bruns (Bel Hassani 71), Pelupessy (Sibum 81), Fledderus, Tannane (Navratil 74), Weghorst, Linssen.

SUBS NOT USED: Fij, Koenders, Paljic, Cziommer.

GOALS: Weghorst 86.

BOOKINGS: None.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax)