As the thirty fourth and final round of the 2016/17 Eredivisie campaign got underway with, for the second week in succession, all nine fixtures kicking off at the same time on Sunday afternoon, it was judgement day for both table-topping, Feyenoord and second placed, Ajax.

Separated by just a single point following Feyenoord’s incredible capitulation at the hands of city neighbours, Excelsior last time out, there was all to play for as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side played host to European hopefuls, Heracles while, fresh from reaching a first European final for twenty one years after squeezing past Olympique Lyonnais 5-4 on aggregate – despite losing 3-1 at the Parc OL on Thursday evening, Ajax made the trip to Willem II in the hope that their bitter rivals would once again fall victim to the nerves that allowed Peter Bosz’s men back into the title race after their three goal reversal at the Stadion Woudestein.

With De Kuip packed to the rafters, a number of large screens had been erected around the city and, much like last week, the people of Rotterdam were out in numbers and ready to celebrate a long-awaited fifteenth league title eighteen years after Leo Beenhakker’s side had delivered the club’s last Eredivisie crown in 1999.

Following the announcement that Rotterdam City council had given Feyenoord the green light to build a new stadium, having committed €135 million to the project  – dubbed ‘Feyenoord City’, which will see Rotterdam boast the largest stadium in the Netherlands by 2022, the smoke had barely cleared in the club’s current atmospheric surrounds when skipper, Dirk Kuyt – who had been drafted in by van Bronckhorst after Tonny Vilhena’s booking last time out ruled him out of the game, capitalised on a mistake by Mike te Wierik – who stumbled in his attempt to clear a long throw from Bart Nieuwkoop, before lashing the ball beyond the exposed Bram Castro in the Heracles goal to give the side that have topped the standings since an opening day mauling of Groningen the perfect start after just 38 seconds.

Eleven minutes later the talismanic 36-year-old was at it again – Kuyt escaping the attentions of Justin Hoogma to head home Eljero Elia’s perfectly placed cross from the left at the near post to double the host’s advantage.

Despite their rivals’ barn-storming start to proceedings, second placed, Ajax – who, following a draining 2^nd leg in France, fielded the youngest line-up in Eredivisie history with an average age of 20 years and 139 days, were determined to keep themselves in contention for, what would have been, a thirty fourth league title in the club’s trophy-laden history and hit the front in Tilburg seven minutes before the break through a close range finish by 19-year-old, Kasper Dolberg – Justin Kluivert slipping in the young Dane for his 23^rd of the season in all competitions and his tenth in his last twelve outings with a low cross from the left.

Any thoughts of a come-back by the hosts were dispelled three minutes into the second half when Ajax’s Colombian centre half, Davinson Sanchez was on hand to double the away side’s advantage – the 20-year-old, rising highest to head home a Donny van de Beek corner from the left.

Ajax’s inspirational skipper, Davy Klaassen hinted in the aftermath of the game at the Koning Willem II Stadion that this could well have been his last league outing for the club and, if the Dutch international does ultimately elect to move on during the summer, he signed off his Eredivisie career in style with one final goal to make it three in the 66^th minute and twenty in all competitions for the 24-year-old this term – Kluivert running on to an incisive through ball by Abdelhak Nouri, hitting the by-line and drawing the ‘keeper before pulling the ball back for his skipper to tap into an empty net.

Despite Erwin van de Looi’s side only managing to find a single goal by way of response, the fact that it came from Feyenoord loanee, Jari Schuurman eight minutes from time was symbolic as, just two minutes later, his parent club would put the seal on their long-awaited fifteenth league title when Kuyt made it three from the spot after referee, Dennis Higler compounded a miserable afternoon for te Wierik by ruling that the Groningen-bound centre half had unlawfully pulled back Nicolai Jorgensen as the league’s top goal-scorer had attempted escape the attentions of the 18-year-old on the edge of the box.

This all served to set the stage for the Feyenoord skipper to step up and bag both the league title and his hat-trick to add the perfect ending to his own fairy tale – Kuyt sending Castro the wrong way with the resultant penalty kick to make it fifteen for the season in all competitions for the versatile former Dutch international who has yet to decide what the future holds for him beyond the end of the current campaign.

With the title party now well and truly in full swing both inside De Kuip and on the Coolsingel, those in attendance hardly noticed when Peter van Ooijen’s 89^th minute rocket left Brad Jones rooted to the spot and nestled into the back of the net via the Australian’s left hand upright – a strike that ultimately did little to help John Stegeman’s troops in their forlorn quest for a place in the end-of-season UEFA Europa League playoff places.

Meanwhile, for hat-trick hero, Kuyt, coach, van Bronckhorst and Feyenoord’s long-suffering fans, this was the stuff dreams were made of as the club toasted their first league title of the 21^st Century at long last.

For second placed, Ajax there remains the small matter of a first European final in more than two decades – Peter Bosz’s men locking horns with Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in the final of the UEFA Europa League at the Friends Arena in Solna on Wednesday 24^th May.

Elsewhere, out-going back-to-back champions, PSV Eindhoven signed off what has ultimately proved to be a disappointing campaign for Phillip Cocu’s men by hitting PEC Zwolle for four at the Philips Stadion.

Despite Ted van de Pavert capitalising on some poor handling by Dutch international, Jeroen Zoet to put the away side into the lead just short of the half hour mark, four goals in ten second half minutes ultimately saw the home side sweep aside their visitor’s challenge.

Having trailed at the break, Hector Moreno clawed the hosts back onto level terms twelve minutes from time – the 29-year-old heading home a flick-on from Chelsea loanee, Marco van Ginkel following a corner from the left, before the Mexican international’s defensive colleague, Santiago Arias put the home side in the driving seat a minute later with a rare left-footed drive from range that left Mickey van der Hart rooted to the spot.

Having netted seventeen times for the club’s second team in the Eerste Divisie this term, Sam Lammers capped his first start at Eredivisie level – having been drafted into the side in place of the injured Luuk de Jong, by bagging his second goal in as many games after his strike at Groningen had salvaged a point for Cocu’s misfiring charges last time out – beating van der Hart with a low drive from the edge of the box five minutes from time before the man who had teed him up – substitute, Bart Ramselaar, got in on the act by sliding in a fourth after being picked out by an angled through ball from fellow replacement, Oleksandr Zinchenko three minutes later.

FC Groningen went into their last game of the season in Enschede knowing that only a win would be good enough to keep alive their hopes of snatching a place in the end-of-season UEFA Europa League playoffs and Ernest Faber’s side managed just that in a remarkable eight-goal encounter with FC Twente on Sunday afternoon.

The away side wasted little time and hit the front with just two minutes on the clock through a ninth goal in as many games for Bryan Linssen – debutant, Glenn Bijl picking out the unmarked 26-year-old at the back post with a pinpoint low cross from the right.

Despite many predicting a season of struggle for Rene Hake’s men, it has been quite the opposite for the cash-strapped Enschede-based outfit, who, if not for the sanctions imposed by the KNVB, would themselves be looking forward to the post-season European scramble, and the home side were back on level terms just seventeen minutes later through Dylan George – the 18-year-old rising highest at the near post to head home a Mateusz Klich corner from the left to bag his first for the club.

However, a quick-fire double from Oussama Idrissi in the space of four minutes soon saw the away side back in the driving seat – the 21-year-old curling the ball beyond the static Nick Marsman in the Twente goal from just outside the area after cutting inside Jeroen van der Lely with 25 minutes gone before producing a carbon-copy finish shortly before the half hour mark after capitalising on some ponderous play by Klich.

To make matters worse for the hosts, an own goal by the unfortunate Stefan Thesker – following a Groningen corner from the right, two minutes before the break saw the away side go in a the interval with a seemingly unassailable advantage.

Yet the home side refused to throw in the towel and clawed their way back into the game once more shortly after the hour mark through a penalty from Klich after referee, Pol van Boekel had ruled that Jesper Drost had shoved Twente full back, Dejan Trajkovski in the area in the 64^th minute.

However, any thoughts of a comeback by Hake’s men were dispelled just two minutes later when 21-year-old Norwegian, Alexander Sørloth headed home a fifth for Faber’s side after being found unmarked at the back post by a perfectly weighted Jason Davidson cross from the left, which, thanks to Heracles’ failure to take anything from their trip to De Kuip, saw Groningen snatch an unlikely UEFA Europa League playoff berth despite Manchester City loanee, Enes Unal adding a third for the hosts five minutes from time.

Elsewhere, two sides who had already tied up their places in the end-of-season scramble for European football played out a thriller of their own at the AFAS Stadion where FC Utrecht ultimately edged out the ten men of AZ Alkmaar.

Things seemed to be going the away side’s way when, a minute after hitting the front through Ajax loanee, Richairo Zivkovic – who tapped home a Nacer Barazite cross from the right at the near post, the home side were reduced to ten men when Jonas Svensson was given his marching orders by referee, Martin van den Kerkhof in the 33^rd minute after the Norweigian defender pulled down Zivkovic just outside the area and was adjudged, somewhat controversially by the official, to have been the last man – despite Thomas Ouwejan also appearing to be between the on-loan forward and Tim Krul in the host’s net.

To add insult to injury, Zakaria Labyad then doubled the host’s advantage from the resultant free kick – the 24-year-old’s strike leaving Dutch international, Krul rooted to the spot.

However, having been lucky not to fall further behind when Andreas Ludwig’s wayward cross from the left cannoned back off the inside of Krul’s left hand upright five minutes after the resumption and despite being a man-down, John van den Brom’s men clawed their way back into the game six minutes after the restart when the unfortunate Utrecht skipper, Mark van der Maarel put through his own net after the centre half attempted to clear a flick-on by Alireza Jahanbakhsh following a corner from the right.

Yet the host’s revival was short-lived as Erik ten Hag’s side soon restored their two-goal cushion through Nacer Barazite who produced a neat turn and finish from the edge of the area – following a deft flick from Sean Klaiber, two minutes later.

However, despite ultimately coming up short, the beaten cup finalists rallied and, having seen Stijn Wuytens flick the ball onto the foot of the returning Robbin Ruiter’s left hand upright, John van den Brom’s men did find a second through Jahanbakhsh with twenty two minutes left to play – the Iranian international’s back post header being correctly adjudged by the official to have crossed the line before Ruiter managed to claw the ball away following a Levi Garcia cross from the left.

Indeed, the undermanned hosts could even have taken an unlikely share of the spoils had AZ’s top goal-scorer, Wout Weghorst not seen his powerful header come back off the underside of Ruiter’s crossbar ten minutes from time.

Meanwhile, two sides who – thankfully for their respective fans, had nothing riding on their last day encounter in The Hague met at the Kyocera Stadion where hosts, ADO Den Haag hit visitors, Excelsior for four.

It took just eight minutes for Alfons Groenendijk’s men to break the deadlock – Sheraldo Becker drilling the ball low and hard past the exposed Warner Hahn in the visitor’s goal after being found with time and space on the right of the away side’s area by Dion Malone.

However, fresh from having torn up Feyenoord’s title-winning script last time out, Mitchell van der Gaag’s men were at it again twelve minutes later – Jeffry Fortes flicking Fredy Ribeiro’s long range drive past a wrong-footed Robert Zwinkels to bring the away side back onto level terms.

Yet the visitors were soon behind once more thanks to a diving header from Japanese international, Mike Havenaar – a man reborn under Groenendijk, who restored the host’s advantage with his sixth goal in his last eight outings five minutes later, before QPR loanee, Abdenasser El Khayati tucked home a third for the home side from the edge of the box shortly after the half hour mark – the 28-year-old’s fourth in his last seven outings.

Any hopes the away side may have harboured of making a comeback were dispelled twenty five minutes from time, and it was a case of ‘better late than never’ when 23-year-old Ivory Coast international, Wilfried Kanon pounced to bag his first of the season from close range and make it four for the hosts after a Danny Bakker flick-on at the near post had initially cannoned back of Hahn’s right hand upright following an El Khayati corner from the right.

While the thirty fourth and final round of fixtures brought clarification at the top of the standings the only issue settled prior to Sunday’s final round of fixtures was that Go Ahead Eagles would be returning to the second tier just a year after bouncing back from the Eerste Divisie following last weekend’s four goal reversal at the hands of title-chasing, Ajax.

The issue of who would end the season in the dreaded promotion/ relegation playoff places directly above the doomed Deventer-based outfit was still very much up in the air with just two points separating three sides.

Despite having nothing to play for, the Eagles would still have a big say on the fate of those above them as Robert Maaskant’s men played host to the side who had emerged from the second tier as champions a year earlier – Sparta Rotterdam, with Alex Pastoor’s side knowing that a win was vital if they were to avoid the lottery of the post season scramble for survival.

The same was true for interim NEC Nijmegen boss, Ron de Groot who – fresh from masterminding a first win since the first week of March for the struggling side who had parted company with former coach, Peter Hyballa prior to their much needed victory last time out against AZ Alkmaar, took his side to European hopefuls, Heerenveen.

Meanwhile, the third of the sides struggling to escape the clutches of the bottom three – Roda JC, despite holding a two point advantage over their relegation rivals, were faced with perhaps the most difficult task of those aiming to avoid the drop as the Kerkrade-based outfit made the trip to cup winners, Vitesse Arnhem, and so it proved – Yannis Anastasiou’s troops finding themselves a goal down after just three minutes when Ricky van Wolfswinkel tapped the ball into an empty net after Chelsea loanee, Lewis Baker had seen his back post header come back off Benjamin van Leer’s right hand upright.

Things soon got worse for the away side as, shortly before the half hour mark, news began to trickle through of a goal for NEC Nijmegen – who edged their way out of the bottom three through Arnaut Groeneveld’s first of the season after the product of the PSV youth system capitalised on Doke Schmidt’s stumble under Dario Dumic’s long hanging ball into the box to beat the exposed Erwin Mulder.

Shortly before the hour mark, the misery of the Roda fans was compounded by news of Martin Pusic giving Sparta Rotterdam the lead at De Adelaarshorst – the man on loan from FC Midtjylland edging his side ahead of NEC in the battle for survival by heading home a free kick from half time replacement, Craig Goodwin from close range.

Ahead of making the trip to Friesland, Ron de Groot’s side had no doubt secretly fancied their chances of taking all three points from their encounter with a badly out-of-form Heerenveen side who had recorded just four wins since the turn of the year to leave Jurgen Streppel’s side in danger of missing out on a place in the UEFA Europa League playoffs altogether and, shortly after the hour mark, the visitors doubled their advantage through Liverpool loanee, Taiwo Awoniyi –  the 19-year-old heading home a flick-on by Dumic following a corner from the right to notch his second in as many games after the Nigerian had bagged the winner a week earlier against beaten cup finalists, AZ.

Despite being on course to ultimately secure back-to-back victories in the league for the first time since mid-January, de Groot’s men were all too aware that a win at the Abe Lenstra Stadion may not prove enough to save them due to their horrendous goal differential.

However, the picture at the foot of the standings was changing rapidly due to events in Deventer where, despite their fate having already been sealed, the home side rallied late on and clawed their way back onto level terms nineteen minutes from time through Darren Maatsen – Jarchinio Antonia streaking away down the left before teeing up the 26-year-old for his fourth of the season.

Yet, Maaskant, who will now step aside, with former Feyenoord and Excelsior coach, Leon Vlemmings set to take the helm in Deventer next term, saw his side fall behind once more just nine minutes later when Pusic struck for a second time – the on-loan Austrian forward stabbing home his sixth goal in his last eight outings for Pastoor’s side past Theo Zwarthoed from close range to drag Sparta to the brink of survival having been found once more by a pinpoint ball from super-sub, Goodwin after the Australian had gotten free down the left.

Meanwhile, in Arnhem things were looking bleak for Roda who, just two minutes after falling behind to a second from van Wolfswinkel ten minutes from time after the 28-year-old had been unselfishly teed up by substitute, Alexander Büttner – despite the full back finding himself clean through on goal, then found themselves reduced to ten men when referee, Bas Nijhuis gave Mitchel Paulissen his marching orders following a two-footed lunge on Marvelous Nakamba.

When Goodwin capped a remarkable performance from the bench – making the points safe by adding Sparta’s third with a daisy-cutting free kick that served to catch out Zwarthoed’s carefully positioned wall a minute from time, the sizeable away contingent were left every bit as delirious as those dancing in the streets of Rotterdam at the very same moment in celebration of Feyenoord’s fifteenth league title, as Pastoor’s side secured their top flight status and avoided the post-season survival scramble by virtue of a vastly superior goal difference over sixteenth place, NEC.

Consigned to guiding Roda through several more weeks of nail-biting, high stakes football before taking up his new role at Belgian outfit, KV Kortrijk next term, Yannis Anastasiou watched on in despair as Chelsea loanee, Baker who, after confirming recently that, after two years in Arnhem, he would be returning to Stamford Bridge next season, signed off with a fifteenth goal of the season in all competitions for Henk Fraser’s side two minutes into added time – the 22-year-old lobbing the ball over van Leer after being played in just inside the area by Milot Rashica.

All of which means that, while Sparta can plan for another season amongst the elite of Dutch football, both NEC and Roda must now negotiate the post-season free-for-all that is the end-of-season promotion/ relegation playoffs which get underway on Thursday evening with Ron de Groot’s men heading to FC Emmen while, on the same day, Yannis Anastasiou’s side travel to face Helmond Sport in the opening match of their tie with the return legs of both taking place three days later.

The winners of both ties will then go on to meet the sides who manage to negotiate the other two all-second tier ties in the final round where they will play off for one of two vacant places in the top flight next season.

Results: Week 34

Feyenoord 3-1 Heracles Almelo

Willem II 1-3 AFC Ajax

PSV Eindhoven 4-1 PEC Zwolle

FC Twente 3-5 FC Groningen

AZ Alkmaar 2-3 FC Utrecht

ADO Den Haag 4-1 Excelsior

Go Ahead Eagles 1-3 Sparta Rotterdam

SC Heerenveen 0-2 NEC Nijmegen

Vitesse Arnhem 3-0 Roda JC

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The thirty second round of Eredivisie action got underway on Friday evening at the Abe Lenstra Stadion where hosts, Heerenveen got their push for a UEFA Europa League playoff place back on track by edging out visiting, Willem II.

Having seen his men lose five of their last six, Jurgen Streppel’s side came into this encounter in danger of missing the end-of-season European scramble altogether. However, a Sam Larsson strike five minutes before the break was enough to see the Frisians back in the mix for continental football next term – the Swede capitalising on a poorly judged header by Dries Wuytens on the left before burning off Daryl Lachman and slipping the ball past the visitor’s exposed ‘keeper, Kostas Lamprou to put the hosts into the ascendancy and ultimately, on the road to just their fourth victory since the turn of the year.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the Goffertstadion where a header from Mike van Duinen – following a perfectly weighted cross from Khalid Karami, shortly before the hour mark was enough to see Excelsior move six points clear of the drop zone and to the brink of safety with just two games of the season left to play, at the expense of hosts, NEC Nijmegen – who, despite suffering their seventh defeat in a row, find themselves just two points off safety.

However, mathematically at least, the Nijmegen-based outfit can still be caught by bottom-of-the-table, Go Ahead Eagles and the disgruntled home faithful left Peter Hyballa in little doubt of what they thought of his team’s latest display by staging a protest outside the stadium following the final whistle – after which they club elected to take action by relieving the German of his duties two days later.

With the final of the KNVB Beker taking centre stage next Sunday, cup finalist’s AZ Alkmaar didn’t let cup fever distract them from their pursuit of a UEFA Europa League playoff place. However, John van den Brom’s men left it late to claim all three points from their encounter with visitors, FC Twente on Saturday evening.

Despite having dominated a goalless first period, it was the visitors who took a shock lead twenty minutes into the second half when centre back, Joachim Andersen out-jumped Derrick Luckassen to head home a Mateusz Klich cross from the right at the back post.

However, the visitor’s advantage wouldn’t last and Rene Hake’s men would eventually leave the AFAS Stadion empty handed as all of his side’s hard work unravelled in the closing stages.

The away side’s remarkable collapse began in the most unlikeliest of ways – 22-year-old centre half, Peet Bijen heading an Iliass Bel Hassani free kick from the left into his own net nine minutes from time before Andersen who – having gone into the referee’s notebook for giving away the initial free kick, was then shown his second yellow card in the space of six minutes and given his marching orders by referee, Siemen Mulder after holding back substitute, Fred Friday in the 86^th minute..

With the momentum having shifted noticeably in favour of the hosts, it came as little surprise when – having been sent clear by a deft lay-off from Bel Hassani on half way in the second minute of added time, Friday raced through the Twente defence and – having evaded the attentions of Bijen, slotted the ball past the exposed Nick Marsman in the visitor’s net to not only boost the host’s quest for European football next term but also send van den Brom’s troops into next Sunday’s final brimming with confidence.

Another side with a place in Europe on their minds – Heracles, kept up the pressure on those occupying the UEFA Europa League playoff places above them in the standings by taking all three points away from their encounter with PEC Zwolle at the MAC3PARK Stadion on Saturday evening.

Despite the hosts having enjoyed the best of the chances in a goalless first half it was the away side who hit the front ten minutes after the restart – Samuel Armenteros  stabbing the ball past Mickey van der Hart from close range after having been picked out by a pinpoint cut-back from compatriot, Kristoffer Peterson.

The free-scoring Swede then doubled the visitor’s advantage ten minutes from time. With substitute, Stef Nijland having been denied by the sharp reflexes of Bram Castro in the visitor’s net, the away side hit their hosts on the counter attack and, with Brahim Darri having found Armenteros in, what appeared at first glance to be an offside position – the striker having been played onside by Bart Schenkeveld, the 26-year-old streaked clear to stroke the ball unhindered past van der Hart to notch his twentieth goal of the season in all competitions.

With the Ron Jans era in Zwolle nearing a disappointing end, his side did eventually claw their way back into the contest six minutes later but, ultimately, Ted van de Pavert’s back post header following a Django Warmerdam corner from the right failed to herald a comeback for the out-of-form hosts who remain just four points above the drop zone following their third defeat in their last four outings.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded in Deventer where, despite hosts – Go Ahead Eagles giving it their all, Rob Maaskant’s side slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of visitors, FC Groningen to leave the side that only regained its top flight status last summer on the brink of an immediate return to the second tier.

With a trip to title-chasing Ajax on the horizon, this was a must-win encounter for Maaskant’s side. However, the hosts – having ridden their luck when an unmarked Bryan Linssen saw his vicious back post drive turned onto the crossbar in the 24^th minute by the exposed Theo Zwarthoed in the home side’s net, found themselves trailing at the interval.

Despite having earlier been denied by Zwathoed – the home ‘keeper having sent Mimoun Mahi’s near post drive cannoning off the outside of his right hand upright on the half hour mark after the ball had come the 23-year-old’s way when Linssen had charged down a wayward pass from Xandro Schenk mid-way inside the home side’s half, Groningen’s top scorer was on hand to put Ernest Faber’s men into the ascendancy eight minutes before the break – Mahi slipping the ball past the onrushing Zwarthoed after his run was found by a perfectly weighted pass from Ruben Jenssen.

Following the resumption, the hosts threw everything at their guests but were lucky not to fall further behind when an unmarked Jesper Drost saw his back post header from an Oussama Idrissi corner from the left in the 50^th minute cannon off Zwarthoed’s left hand upright before the 21-year-old sent the rebound over the bar from a few yards out.

However, despite Mahi also hitting the outside of the same post shortly before the hour mark – having been found in acres of space in the home side’s area by a square ball from Drost, the hosts remained within touching distance of their visitors and, against the run of play, Maaskant’s side did eventually claw their way back onto level terms sixteen minutes from time via the club’s top scorer, Sam Hendriks – Elvis Manu slipping the former Ajax forward in behind the Groningen rear guard before the 22-year-old beat the exposed Sergio Padt at his near post with a low drive.

However, just as soon as the home side had clawed their way back onto level terms, Maaskant’s battle-weary troops found themselves behind once more when Drost latched onto an incisive through ball from Juninho Bacuna and, despite very nearly losing his footing, rounded Zwarthoed to restore the visitor’s advantage.

Despite finding themselves trailing for the second time with time running out and their fate likely sealed, the hosts got up off the canvais with one last act of defiance – Darren Maatsen firing home a Sebastien Locigno cross from the right at the back post with a minute of the ninety left to play to put the home side on course for a morale-boosting point.

Yet, Maaskant’s brave charges were left empty handed for the fourth game in succession when, three minutes into added time – having been put in the clear by a well-timed Alexander Sørloth  through ball on half way, Mahi streaked half the length of the field before rounding Zwarthoed to bag his sixteenth of a prolific campaign and snatch all three points for Faber’s side.

Rooted to the foot of the standings with five points separating them from a promotion/ relegation playoff place and with just two games left to play, it now appears only a matter of time before the Eagles’ seemingly inevitable fate is confirmed.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the Stadion Galgenwaard where hosts FC Utrecht got back to winning ways at the expense of struggling Roda JC.

However, despite their visitors precarious league position, Yannis Anastasiou’s troops didn’t make life easy for their high flying hosts who, following their reversal at De Kuip last time out, endured another frustrating outing here and, despite the home side dominating the match for large periods, it appeared that the Kerkrade-based outfit – who had taken seven points from the last nine to move out of the bottom three prior to making the trip to Utrecht, were on course for another priceless point in their quest for survival when, shortly before the hour mark, Gyrano Kerk so nearly capped a mazy run that began mid-way inside his own half by breaking the deadlock but, having left half the opposition in his wake before cutting inside Chris Kum and Daryl Werker, the 21-year-old saw his low drive rattle the foot of the exposed, Benjamin van Leer’s right hand upright.

Yet, having survived another scare – when Kerk saw his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Werker eight minutes from time, the visitor’s luck eventually ran out in the 87^th minute when Zakaria Labyad bent a spectacular free kick from just outside the area past a helpless van Leer to leave the away side empty handed and teetering precariously above the bottom three with just two points separating Anastasiou’s men from both Sparta Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen – who occupy 16^th and 17^th respectively.

However, one side who no longer have to worry about beating the drop are ADO Den Haag, who – despite having seemingly been dead and buried when Alfons Groenendijk took the reins following the dismissal of Željko Petrović at the start of February, are now assured of retaining their top flight status after bagging all three points at the expense of fellow strugglers, Sparta Rotterdam at Het Kasteel on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors – who arrived in Rotterdam having taken ten points from the last twelve available, wasted little time in asserting their authority over Alex Pastoor’s relegation-threatened side and took an early lead through a spectacular Abdenasser El Khayati drive from range with just ten minutes on the clock – the 28-year-old’s fourth in ADO colours following his loan switch from Queens Park Rangers at the end of January ultimately seeing Groenendijk’s side secure the victory they required to ensure their Eredivisie status.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table it proved to be a pivotal weekend in the title race.

With reigning back-to-back league champions, PSV Eindhoven playing host to second placed, Ajax in De Topper in Sunday’s late game, league leaders, Feyenoord – who, despite having recorded just one win from their last four games away from home, stole an early march on their bitter rivals from Amsterdam to keep themselves on course for a first league title since 1999 by making short work of their potentially tricky trip to the GelreDome – the table toppers seeing off cup finalists, Vitesse Arnhem in routine fashion thanks to a first half double from the league’s top scorer – Nicolai Jorgensen, to move four points clear at the top of the standings with just two games left to play.

With Henk Fraser’s men eyeing next Sunday’s KNVB Beker showdown with AZ Alkmaar at De Kuip, their high-flying visitors – who having seen their defence of the cup end at the hands of their hosts when the two sides men in Arnhem at the end of January, took full advantage of the home side’s lack of focus.

 Just ten minutes had elapsed when a Steven Berghuis corner from the left found Jens Toornstra unmarked at the back post with time and space to draw a smart save from Eloy Room. However, the home keeper could only parry the ball to the feet of the waiting Nicolai Jorgensen who gleefully tapped home his 20th league goal of the season from close range.

Shortly before the half hour mark the away side doubled their advantage with Jorgensen just about forcing home a close-range header to bag his second of the afternoon which, despite his best efforts, Room failed to prevent crossing the line – Toornstra having found the 26-year-old unmarked at the back post with a pinpoint cut-back from the by-line.

The visitors could and should have made their victory more emphatic nine minutes later but Berghuis saw his rasping drive from the edge of the box strike the inside of Room’s left hand upright after the Watford loanee had been slipped in by a deft touch from Eljero Elia.

However, despite failing to add to their advantage in a goalless second period, Jorgensen’s brace ultimately proved enough to secure three more priceless points for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men in their pursuit of a long-awaited fifteenth league title.

Feyenoord’s victory meant that Ajax – fresh from seeing off Schalke 04 to progress to the last four of the UEFA Europa League following a heroic performance in Gelsenkirchen on Thursday evening, had to respond in kind by taking all three points from their clash with outgoing champions, PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion a little later on Sunday afternoon.

However, with the majority of the starting eleven selected by Ajax coach, Peter Bosz having begun Thursday’s gruelling 2^nd leg in Germany – which eventually went to extra time before late strikes from first, Nick Viergever and then, Amin Younes saw the four-time European champions secure a place in the semi-final of a continental competition for the first time in twenty years, Ajax struggled to keep pace with Phillip Cocu’s men who, despite now being mathematically out of the title race, have not yet given up hope of snatching a place in the UEFA Champions League next term.

The hosts certainly did their chances of catching Ajax the power of good when, having seen Matthijs de Ligt bring down Steven Bergwijn just outside the area with 25 minutes on the clock, Jurgen Locadia – who was once again preferred to Luuk de Jong by PSV coach, Cocu, rifled the resultant free-kick past Andre Onana in the Ajax net to not only give the hosts the lead but ultimately the victory – leaving the former champions just three points of their visitors.

Despite their UEFA Europa League heroics and having suffered just three defeats in the league this term, Ajax’s title chances now appear to be on the wane as Bosz’s men now find themselves four points adrift of league leaders, Feyenoord with just two games left to play.

Results: Week 32

SC Heerenveen 1-0 Willem II

NEC Nijmegen 0-1 Excelsior

AZ Alkmaar 2-1 FC Twente

PEC Zwolle 1-2 Heracles Almelo

Go Ahead Eagles 2-3 FC Groningen

FC Utrecht 1-0 Roda JC

Sparta Rotterdam 0-1 ADO Den Haag

Vitesse Arnhem 0-2 Feyenoord

PSV Eindhoven 1-0 AFC Ajax

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The thirty first round of Eredivisie action got underway on Friday evening in Almelo where cup finalists, AZ Alkmaar got their pursuit of a UEFA Europa League playoff place back on track at the expense of hosts, Heracles.

Having gone three games without a win prior to this encounter at the Polman Stadion and with their cup final date with Vitesse Arnhem looming at the end of April, John van den Brom’s men were determined to find their form and, following a goalless opening period, took the lead seven minutes into the second half – former Heracles striker, Wout Weghorst coming back to haunt his old club by slamming the ball past Bram Castro from a few yards out after it fell at his feet off Joris van Overeem who intercepted Justin Hoogma’s attempted clearance from a Ridgeciano Haps cross that was originally intended for the big AZ forward.

The former home favourite then slipped Iranian international, Alireza Jahanbakhsh in on the right who, having escaped the attentions of Thomas Bruns, doubled the away side’s advantage eight minutes from time.

Having seen Dabney dos Santos nearly make it three for the visitors – the 20-year-old rattling Castro’s left hand upright with a hopeful outside of the boot attempt in the 90^th minute that left the home ‘keeper rooted to the spot, the hosts did eventually claw their way back into the contest but Brandley Kuwas’ spectacularly struck free kick from mid-way inside the visitor’s half in the dying seconds proved too-little-too-late for John Stegeman’s side – whose quest for a UEFA Europa League playoff place of their own now appears to be faltering.

Elsewhere, the Eredivisie welcomed back a familiar face for 2017-18 as VVV Venlo sealed a return to the top flight of Dutch football at the fourth time of asking following victory over RKC Waalwijk at the Mandemakers Stadion on Friday evening.

Needing a win to secure a long-overdue Eredivisie return following their demotion in 2013, Maurice Steijn’s side hit the front seven minutes before the break through a Clint Leemans penalty – Evander Sno sending Vito van Crooij tumbling in the home side’s area to leave referee, Jochem Kamphuis with little option but to point to the spot from which Leemans sent RKC, ‘keeper, Tamati Williams the wrong way.

However, the promotion party had to be temporarily put on hold when Peter van den Berg’s men drew level through a spot kick of their own – Johan Voskamp restoring parity ten minutes into the second half after Kenny Anderson had been felled just inside the visitor’s area by a rash challenge from Jerold Promes.

But, just when it seemed the game would end all square, a Leemans free-kick from just outside the area in the last minute of normal time left Williams rooted to the spot to ultimately earn the win the visitors required to secure their return to the elite of Dutch football after three long years in the wilderness.

With promotion already assured, VVV now turn their attention to securing the Eerste Divisie title – with eight points separating Steijn’s men from Jong Ajax (who cannot be promoted) in second – who they entertain at De Koel on the 28^th April, and just four games to play.

Saturday’s Eredvisie action got underway at the Parkstad Limburg Stadion where hosts, Roda JC took a big step towards ensuring their top flight status by seeing off last season’s Eerste Divisie champions, Sparta Rotterdam.

Coming into this encounter Yannis Anastasiou’s men trailed their visitors by a point and knew anything less than victory over their relegation rivals would likely condemn the home side to the lottery of the promotion/relegation playoffs.

With that in mind the hosts were the quicker out of the blocks and took the lead just before the quarter hour mark through a near post header from Abdul Ajagun following a Mikhail Rosheuvel cross from the right.

The hosts could have doubled their advantage just prior to the half time break but Tom van Hyfte saw his blockbuster from just outside the area cannon back off Roy Kortsmit’s crossbar in the first minute of added time.

The home side did eventually make it two on the hour mark when Ajagun was left with just Kortsmit to beat a few yards from goal after the ball broke in his direction following a poor attempted clearance of a Dani Schahin downward header by Mart Dijkstra – allowing the 24-year-old Nigerian to claim his second of the game and fourth of the season for the hosts.

Having seen Paco van Moorsel rattle Benjamin van Leer’s left hand upright with a speculative effort from the left in the 72^nd minute, Alex Pastoor’s men did eventually claw their way back into proceedings twelve minutes from time through substitute, Thomas Verhaar who – having replaced injured top scorer, Loris Brogno – the Belgian having been carried from the field after going down under a clumsy challenge from Chris Kum just after the half hour mark, curled the ball into the top right hand corner of van Leer’s net after having been found in space on the edge of the box by Ryan Sanusi.

However, any hopes that the visitors harboured of making a comeback were dispelled by Mikhail Rosheuvel – veteran centre half, Kum capping a marauding run deep into enemy territory by first playing a neat give-and-go with Schahin on the edge of the area before hitting the by-line and cutting the ball back for Rosheuvel to tap into an empty net in the 89^th minute to take the hosts clear of the drop zone while condemning Sparta to a place in the bottom three.

While their chances of making it three Eredivisie titles in as many years likely ended with defeat at De Kuip at the end of February, PSV Eindhoven had managed to remain on the fringes of the title race in the hope of snagging second place and with it a route into the UEFA Champions League for next season.

However, it appears that the reigning back-to-back champions must now be content with third place after Phillip Cocu’s side were held by struggling ADO Den Haag at the Kyocera Stadion on Saturday evening.

With Dutch international, Luuk de Jong left on the bench in favour of Jurgen Locadia, Cocu’s gamble soon paid off as, having been slipped in by a marauding run to the by-line by Santiago Arias, the 23-year-old then laid the ball off for Davy Propper who – having wrong footed Thomas Meißner, put the visitors into the ascendancy from the edge of the box with just seven minutes on the clock.

Despite enduring a torrid campaign, things have been looking up of late for the hosts who have hit form at just the right time under new coach, Alfons Groenendijk – having won their last three games on the bounce ahead of this encounter, and, despite leaving it late, the home side would eventually find their way back into this one through Japanese international, Mike Havenaar who – having seen an earlier effort ruled out for offside by referee, Bas Nijhuis ten minutes after the resumption, was on hand to head home from close range after Jeroen Zoet failed to hold on to Aaron Meijers’ rasping drive from just outside the area following an Abdenasser Khayati corner from the right three minutes from time to secure another priceless point in ADO’s quest for survival.

Elsewhere, another side looking to preserve their Eredivisie status – Excelsior, took a big step towards doing just that by edging out cup finalists, Vitesse Arnhem at the Stadion Woudestein.

With time rapidly running out for those at the wrong end of the table, Mitchell van der Gaag’s men knew that there was little margin for error here and, after centre half, Jordy de Wijs saw his header rattle Eloy Room’s crossbar following a Ryan Koolwijk corner from the left in the ninth minute, Mike van Duinen teed up Nigel Hasselbaink to crash the ball past Room from the edge of the box – putting the hosts on course for just their seventh league victory of what has been a tough campaign thus far for the modest Rotterdam-based outfit, four minutes later.

Despite failing to add to their slender advantage, the home supporters could ultimately breathe a little easier as they saw their heroes also record just their second clean sheet of the season in the league, and first since a 2-0 home win over Groningen in mid-August, to move out of the drop zone with just three games to play.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded in Enschede where hosts, FC Twente put another struggling side – NEC Nijmegen, to the sword in merciless fashion – hitting Peter Hyballa’s troops for three without reply at De Grolsch Veste.

Despite Vak-P being left completely empty for the opening quarter hour by the home support in response to action taken by police during the host’s last home game against PSV, the Twente players were left un-phased by matters off the field and hit the front just twelve minutes in through Manchester City loanee, Enes Unal – the 19-year-old Turkish international stooping low to head home a Mateusz Klich corner from the right at the near post.

Fellow Manchester City loanee, Yaw Yeboah should have doubled the host’s advantage just after the half hour mark but could only test the durability of Joris Delle’s crossbar after the tenacity of Fredrik Jensen saw the 19-year-old dispossess NEC full back, Michael Heinloth inside his own area before squaring the ball across the face of the visitor’s goal only to see the Ghanaian – with the goal at his mercy, inexplicably fail to find the back of the net from just outside the box.

However, the home side did eventually make it two when Jensen capped a neat give-and-go with Unal with a well taken strike thirteen minutes into the second half before Unal claimed his second of the match and seventeenth of what has been an impressive season in the Dutch top flight for the young Turk by chipping a perfectly weighted through ball from fellow loanee, Bersant Celina, over the onrushing Delle’s head in the second minute of added time to make it three for the hosts – bringing to an end a wretched run of three games without a win for Twente.

Meanwhile, things continue to get worse for NEC who, having slipped to their sixth consecutive defeat, find themselves mired in the bottom three with time rapidly running out.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway in Tilburg where hosts, Willem II ended a run of four without a win by seeing off the challenge of bottom of the table, Go Ahead Eagles – for whom any hope of retaining Eredivisie status now appears lost.

Despite pulling a rabbit out of the proverbial hat by picking up three points at De Grolsch Veste in Rob Maaskant’s first game in charge, this latest reversal makes it three defeats on the bounce for the new Eagles coach and, with his side now five points adrift of both, NEC Nijmegen and Sparta Rotterdam – who currently occupy the promotion/ relegation playoff places and seven behind Roda JC in 15^th with just three games remaining – which include a trip to title-chasing, Ajax, it would appear the Deventer-based outfit’s brave struggle to retain the top flight status they secured last summer via the promotion/relegation playoffs is nearing an ultimately unsuccessful conclusion.

Despite the hosts going closest to opening the scoring in the early stages – Thom Haye seeing his effort in the eighth minute ruled out for offside by referee, Jeroen Manschot, with everything to play for, the away side enjoyed the better of a goalless first half but, as so often this season, crucially failed to take their chances.

Maaskant’s men were also left aggrieved by the failure of referee, Manschot to award the away side what seemed a clear-cut penalty when Liverpool loanee, Pedro Chirivella was held back by Funso Ojo just inches from the goal line as he attempted to get on the end of a Sam Hendriks flick-on following a Daniel Crowley cross from the right in the 65^th minute.

However, with the official having waved away their protests, the visitors were made to pay for the profligacy eighteen minutes from time when half time substitute, Fran Sol opened the scoring for the hosts – bagging his tenth of the season for the home side, with a close range header following a Jordy Croux cross from the right that left visiting ‘keeper, Theo Zwarthoed rooted to the spot.

Fellow replacement, Jari Schuurman, then sealed the win for Erwin van de Looi’s men eight minutes from time by volleying home a flick-on from Watford loanee, Obbi Oulare from just outside the box.

The victory takes hosts to the brink of securing their top flight status while a third defeat in as many games condemns the Eagles to what now seems an inevitable return to the second tier next season.

Go Ahead Eagles’ fate will likely be sealed next Saturday evening when they entertain FC Groningen who put themselves back into the race for a UEFA Europa League playoff place by hitting visitors, PEC Zwolle for five on Saturday afternoon.

Ernest Faber had left his side under no illusions about what he made of their woeful performance last time out against ADO Den Haag and the home side ultimately responded to their coach’s criticism in emphatic fashion – hitting the front through Bryan Linssen, who slid the ball past visiting ‘keeper, Mickey van der Hart after playing a nice give-and-go with Mimoun Mahi – whose cut-back found the 26-year-old’s unchecked run into the visitor’s area, just before the quarter hour mark.

Having made the breakthrough, the hosts then set about tearing the visiting rear guard to shreds as, just five minutes after hitting the front, the home side doubled their advantage when Oussama Idrissi broke clear down the left and squared for the club’s top scorer – Mahi, to double the home side’s advantage before Linssen glanced in an Idrissi corner from the right to bring up number three for Faber’s troops eight minutes before the break.

Following a torrid opening period, Ron Jans’ side emerged with renewed purpose for the second half and clawed their way back into proceedings through Birmingham City loanee, Nicolai Brock-Madsen – who prodded home a Django Warmerdam corner from the right a minute after the resumption.

However, any hope Jans might have harboured of his side making a game of it in the second stanza were soon snuffed out by Mahi who restored the host’s three goal cushion just seven minutes later – the 23-year-old running onto a perfectly weighted ball from Jesper Drost before holding off the attentions of substitute, Calvin Verdonk and firing the ball past the exposed van der Hart.

Substitute, Ajdin Hrustic made it five with two minutes of normal time left to play – the 20-year-old Romanian curling the ball beyond the reach of van der Hart from just outside the area to seal a crucial win that keeps the home side’s quest for European football alive.

Having squandered two points last time out against PEC Zwolle, league leaders, Feyenoord edged closer to their first league title for eighteen years by getting back to winning ways at the expense of another European hopeful – FC Utrecht, at De Kuip on Sunday afternoon.

However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side were given an early scare when, having been sent clear by a long, raking ball from Sofyan Amrabat, Gyrano Kerk saw his effort come back off the foot of Brad Jones’ right hand upright after the 21-year-old had seemingly done all of the hard work – having rounded Feyenoord’s Australian ‘keeper and slipped the ball beyond the covering Bart Nieuwkoop from a tight angle.

Following an goalless opening period, the home side emerged from the interval with renewed purpose and took the lead just three minutes after the re-start – the fit-again, Nicolai Jorgensen heading Eric Botteghin’s long ball into the path of Jens Toornstra who volleyed the Danish marksman’s flick-on beyond the reach of Utrecht ‘keeper, David Jensen from the edge of the area.

Despite enjoying a plethora of chances to put the game to bed the hosts also rode their luck at times during an open second half and it took until ten minutes from time for van Bronckhorst’s title-hopefuls to put the seal on another crucial victory – Eljero Elia cutting in from the left and escaping the attentions of Giovanni Troupee before curling the ball beyond the reach of Jensen to put an end their stubborn visitor’s resistance.

With Feyenoord having extended their advantage at the top of the standings to four points, the pressure was then on second placed, Ajax to respond in kind at home to Heerenveen – which Peter Bosz’s men did in some style by hitting their visitors for five.

However, the hosts were slow out of the blocks and fell behind when Reza Ghoochannejhad capped off a swift break by putting the away side into the ascendancy with just eight minutes on the clock after the Iranian international had been slipped in by an incisive pass from Sam Larsson – an unlikely lead given the fact that Jurgen Streppel’s side came into this encounter having lost their last eight on the bounce in all competitions away from home.

Despite suffering an early setback, the hosts were nearly back on level terms just four minutes later – Kasper Dolberg rising highest to head a Lasse Schone corner from the right against Erwin Mulder’s right hand upright.

The home side did eventually restore parity in the 24^th minute when Nick Viergever – who had, three minute earlier, been somewhat lucky to survive what looked to be a clear-cut penalty appeal from the visitors after the Ajax left back appeared to handle a Luciano Slagveer effort on the edge of his own box, chested home Davinson Sanchez’s flick-on into the back of Mulder’s net from close range following a Hakim Ziyech corner from the left.

Having seen two of his defensive colleagues combine to level proceedings, Total Football was in evidence once more as marauding 17-year-old, Matthijs de Ligt – having played a neat one-two with Dolberg, put the hosts into the ascendancy just after the half hour mark before the home side added a third when David Neres teed up Ajax skipper, Davy Klaassen for a routine tap-in from close range three minutes before the break.

The home side began the second half in much the same way they ended the first and came close to adding a fourth shortly after the hour mark when a Ziyech free kick from just outside the area cannoned back off Mulder’s left hand post with the ex-Feyenoord ‘keeper left rooted to the spot.

Having been restored to the starting XI by coach, Bosz, Kasper Dolberg marked his return from injury by picking himself up to add a fourth from the spot in the 68^th minute – the Danish starlet having earlier been brought down in the area by a clumsy challenge from behind by substitute, Morten Thorsby which left referee, Danny Makkelie little option but to award the home side a penalty.

A minute later Bosz handed Deyovaisio Zeefuik his first team debut – the 19-year-old full back becoming the ninth youngster of the season to receive his first team bow from the Ajax coach, before Brazilian starlet, Neres then sealed the points for the hosts by stealing a march on Wout Faes before rounding visiting ‘keeper, Mulder and rolling the ball into an empty net seven minutes from time.

With Feyenoord’s advantage once more reduced to just a single point, Bosz’s side now face the most important week of their season with the return leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter final tie against Schalke 04 – into which Ajax carry a two goal advantage following a scintillating performance against the German side in their first encounter at the Amsterdam ArenA, to come on Thursday evening in Gelsenkirchen before Ajax then travel to face outgoing champions, PSV Eindhoven in de Topper on Sunday afternoon – a match that Phillip Cocu’s men must win if they wish to retain any hope of snagging a place in the UEFA Champions League out from under the noses of their visitors who, in turn, must win to keep their title hopes alive.

Results: Week 31

Heracles 1-2 AZ Alkmaar

Roda JC 3-1 Sparta Rotterdam

ADO Den Haag 1-1 PSV Eindhoven

Excelsior 1-0 Vitesse Arnhem

FC Twente 3-0 NEC Nijmegen

 Willem II 2-0 Go Ahead Eagles

FC Groningen 5-1 PEC Zwolle

Feyenoord 2-0 FC Utrecht

AFC Ajax 5-1 SC Heerenveen

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Just a day after the conclusion of the previous round of action, the thirtieth round of Eredivisie fixtures got underway on Friday evening with visitors, Excelsior picking up three priceless points in their battle to avoid the drop against cross-city rivals and fellow strugglers, Sparta Rotterdam in a five-goal thriller at Het Kasteel.

Separated by just three points at the start of play and with both sides having suffered reversals in mid-week, each knew that a win was crucial, not least Mitchell van der Gaag’s men who, following a home defeat to FC Utrecht on Tuesday evening came into this encounter lying second off bottom in the standings.

Despite having lost three of their last four, it was the hosts who struck first through the unlikeliest of sources as Excelsior’s Ryan Koolwijk diverted a Martin Pusic effort into his own net with just ten minutes on the clock after a back-post scramble ensued following a Sparta corner from the right.

The home side could and should have doubled their advantage just two minutes later only for Paco van Moorsel to see his looping back post header cleared against the stranded Warner Hahn’s right hand upright by Jurgen Mattheij.

However, the visitors were undeterred and clawed their way back onto level terms thirteen minutes later through Nigel Hasselbaink who glanced the ball home from close range following a powerful back-post header from Mattheij after a Fredy Ribeiro corner from the left in the 23^rd minute.

Coming into this derby clash, Excelsior had lost just one of their last five and hit the front a minute before the break – Stanley Elbers being played in by a glancing header from Mike van Duinen before slipping the ball between the legs of Roy Kortsmit to put the visitors into the ascendancy.

The visitors would extend their advantage three minutes into the second half – Hasselbaink bagging his second of the match and eighth of the season after being slipped in by an incisive through ball from Ribeiro.

Alex Pastoor’s troops rallied late in the match and found their way back into the contest three minutes from time through Pusic who, having seen Koolwijk take the unwanted credit for diverting the 29-year-old’s earlier effort into the back of his own net, the much-travelled Austrian forward bagged his third in Sparta colours following his January loan move from FC Midtjylland by stabbing the ball over the line after van Moorsel had drawn the attentions of Hahn in the 87^th minute.

However, it was the away side who held on to ultimately take the local bragging rights as well as three vital points that saw van der Gaag’s side climb out of the bottom three and join their cross-city rivals on 28 points.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the GelreDome where cup finalists, Vitesse Arnhem eased past visitors, Heerenveen thanks to a hat-trick from Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

The hosts were out of the blocks quickly with Navarone Foor bagging his second in as many games following a nice give-and-go with Chelsea loanee, Nathan with just five minutes on the clock before van Wolfswinkel headed home a Foor corner to double the home side’s advantage just short of the quarter hour mark.

Despite van Wolfswinkel rattling Erwin Mulder’s crossbar eight minutes later, it was the visitors who clawed themselves back into the contest just after the half hour mark – Luciano Slagveer sliding the ball past the exposed Eloy Room after latching on to an incisive through ball from Reza Ghoochannejhad.

Henk Fraser’s men had to wait until twenty minutes from time to restore their two-goal cushion – Van Wolfswinkel tapping home from close range following a marauding run by Alexander Büttner before the Dutch international claimed all three points and the match ball by sliding home a pinpoint cross from Milot Rashica fifteen minutes from time to make it 18 goals in the league this term and 19 in total for the 28-year-old who is now just a goal shy of Nicolai Jorgensen at the top of the Eredivisie goal-scoring charts.

A late Sam Larsson screamer came as scant consolation for Jurgen Streppel’s men whose push for a UEFA Europa League playoff place continues to falter.

With the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter final with Schalke 04 to come on Thursday evening at the Amsterdam ArenA, Ajax remained focused on the job in hand by hitting hosts, NEC Nijmegen for five on Saturday evening to move level on points with Feyenoord at the top of the standings ahead of the Rotterdam giant’s trip to Zwolle on Sunday afternoon.

When Wojciech Golla – with Bertrand Traore at his heels, slid a David Neres cross from the right into his own net with just four minutes on the clock the writing was on the wall for Peter Hyballa’s side who came into this encounter having lost four on the spin.

In truth the visitors barely got out of second gear as they doubled their advantage just four minutes later when an Amin Younes through ball found Brazilian starlet, Neres who had the simple task of slipping the ball past the exposed Joris Delle as the home side’s beleaguered rear guard appealed in vain for a flag that never materialised before Chelsea loanee, Bertrand Traore then skipped through more shambolic defending to make it three for Peter Bosz’s men just after the half hour mark.

Having been played off the park in the first half the hosts emerged for the second stanza with renewed vigour and, having seen a potential fourth goal for the hosts chalked off by referee Bas Nijhuis who adjudged that the ball had actually gone out of play prior to Klaassen squeezing the ball past Delle from the unlikeliest of angles seven minutes after the restart, clawed their way back into the contest just three minutes later through Ferdi Kadioglu, who had the presence of mind to lob Andre Onana delightfully from the edge of the box as the Cameroon international rushed off his line in an attempt to narrow the 17-year-old’s angle after the substitute had been found in acres of space on the left by a pinpoint diagonal from Mohamed Rayhi.

However, any thoughts of a comeback were dispelled on the hour mark as Traore bagged himself a brace – Younes skipping around a number of challenges before squaring for skipper, Davy Klaassen who then teed up the Chelsea loanee for his third goal in his last two games.

Hakim Ziyech put the icing on the cake by evading the attentions of three players before prodding Ajax’s fifth of the evening past Delle twelve minutes from time to keep the visitor’s title challenge on track while condemning the out-of-form hosts to a place in the bottom three with just four games left to play.

While NEC Nijmegen seem unable to halt their downward spiral, ADO Den Haag continue to pull clear of the dreaded bottom three – Alfons Groenendijk’s rejuvenated troops making it four wins from their last five outings by seeing off visitors, FC Groningen on Saturday evening.

Danny Bakker set the hosts on their way by deflecting home Aaron Meijers’ wayward shot with the inside of his left heel following an ADO corner from the left just short of the quarter hour mark before Dion Malone then doubled the home side’s advantage eight minutes later – the 28-year-old firing the ball past Sergio Padt after the ‘keeper had initially denied Edouard Duplan just seconds earlier as a Sheraldo Becker cross from the left sparked chaos in the visitor’s area in the 21^st minute.

Both Becker and Mike Havenaar have appeared reborn under Groenendijk and the two combined for the host’s third of the evening on 23 minutes – Becker floating over a well-weighted cross from the right for the unmarked Japanese international to head home his fourth goal in his last four outings.

Any hope Ernest Faber’s men may have harboured of making a comeback seemed to be extinguished just minutes after the restart when Malone notched his second of the evening with a cheeky flick from close range after his surging burst into the box was picked out by a pinpoint cross from Meijers in the 47^th minute.

However, Faber’s troops rallied thereafter and five minutes later were gifted a way back in the game – referee, Jeroen Manschot pointing to the spot after Jesper Drost was pulled down in the box by Malone leaving , Mimoun Mahi to slot home his twelfth of the season from the resultant penalty.

Bryan Linssen then fanned the flames of an unlikely Groningen comeback by lashing the visitor’s second past Robert Zwinkels from just outside the area after the hosts failed to clear a corner from the right in the 64^th minute.

With time running out, Linssen was on hand once more to provide a tense finish by rolling home his second from a similar range in the third minute of added time but it ultimately proved too-little-too-late to salvage anything for Faber’s men whose hopes of a UEFA Europa League playoff place are now a fading memory.

Meanwhile, by virtue of this latest triumph, ADO now find themselves just two points off Groningen and crucially, three points clear of the drop-zone.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded at De Adelaarshorst where a week that started so promisingly for hosts, Go Ahead Eagles ended in despair as the home side were hit for four in front of their own fans by local rivals, Heracles.

Having ushered in the Robert Maaskant era with renewed optimism following just their second away league victory of the season against another local rival – FC Twente last Sunday afternoon, the hosts had endured a miserable evening at De Kuip in mid-week – being hit for eight by their title-chasing hosts in a morale crushing defeat and, when Elvis Manu was shown a red card by referee, Edwin van de Graaf just twelve minutes in – the Brighton loanee having been adjudged to have handled a goal-bound Brandley Kuwas effort, things began to unravel once more for Maaskant’s men after Thomas Bruns subsequently put the visitors into the ascendancy from the spot in the thirteenth minute.

The home side’s brittle confidence was all too visible thereafter as John Stegeman’s men proceeded to pull the home defence to pieces – Samuel Armenteros – who had earlier escaped punishment following what appeared to be a blatant hand-ball in the visitor’s area minutes before Manu’s dismissal for a similar offence at the other end of the field, doubling the away side’s advantage from close range after home ‘keeper, Theo Zwarthoed could only parry a Kristoffer Peterson strike before Peterson made it three with just 21 minutes on the clock – the 22-year-old Swede gliding past two defenders before curling the ball into the top left hand corner of Zwarthoed’s net from the edge of the box.

With Wednesday’s capitulation still fresh in the mind, the home side rallied thereafter and clawed their way back into the contest just a minute later through a spectacular strike from Arsenal loanee Daniel Crowley – the 19–year-old cutting in from the left before evading the attentions of Tim Breukers and curling the ball delightfully into the top left hand corner of the net with visiting ‘keeper, Bram Castro left rooted to the spot.

However, any hopes Maaskant’s troops may have harboured about making a comeback were dispelled just before the interval when Sander Fischer was adjudged to have brought down Robin Gosens in the host’s area by referee, van de Graaf – leaving Swedish hot-shot, Armenteros to add a killer fourth from the spot by sending Zwarthoed the wrong way.

The home side tightened up following the resumption and could have made a game of it had a Sam Hendriks’ free kick cannoned off the inside of Bram Castro’s left hand upright as opposed to the outside eighteen minutes from time.

Meanwhile, at the other end, despite failing to add to their lead the away side continued to threaten – Reuven Niemeijer hitting the base of Zwarthoed’s right hand upright with a quarter of an hour to go.

Having conceded twelve goals in their last two outings, Maaskant’s men are now staring relegation square in the face as the Eagles now find themselves five points adrift at the foot of the standings with time and games quickly running out to preserve their top flight status.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the AFAS Stadion where visitors, Roda JC earned another vital point in their battle to avoid the drop at the expense of hosts, AZ Alkmaar.

Despite dominating the opening period and deservedly taking the lead just after the half hour mark through Iranian international, Alireza Jahanbakhsh – who cut in from the right and  turned Ard van Peppen inside out before slamming the ball past visiting ‘keeper Benjamin van Leer from the tightest of angles, the hosts then found themselves back on level terms with their struggling guests just six minutes later when 22-year-old centre half, Daryl Werker escaped the attentions of his marker to head home a Mitchel Paulissen corner from just inside the box six minutes before the break.

However, John van den Brom’s side should have sealed all three points twenty minutes from time when referee, Martin van den Kerkhof awarded the home side a penalty after Wout Weghorst’s shot from just outside the area was unwittingly handled by van Peppen. However, van Leer pawed away the former Heracles marksman’s resultant spot-kick to ultimately preserve a priceless point for Yannis Anastasiou’s side.

Having seen Ajax draw level on points at the top of the table following their thrashing of NEC Nijmegen on Saturday evening, league leaders, Feyenoord failed to back up their eight-goal demolition of relegation-threatened Go Ahead Eagles in mid-week with a second win in the space of five days but did come away from a potentially tricky trip to the MAC3PARK Stadion with a point thanks to a double from Watford loanee, Steven Berghuis.

Things got off to the worst possible start for van Bronckhorst’s title hopefuls – Ajax loanee, Queensy Menig racing onto an incisive through ball from Youness Mokhtar before bypassing the onrushing Brad Jones and rolling the ball into an empty net with just three minutes on the clock to put hosts, PEC Zwolle into the ascendancy before Bram van Polen then doubled the home side’s advantage ten minutes later – the 31-year-old defender beating Jones from a tight angle after Danny Holla’s penetrating through ball had seen the visitor’s rear guard turn to dust in the 13^th minute.

With the away side faced with what would have been just their fourth league defeat of the season and their second in the space of seven days, Berghuis cut the home side’s advantage in half on 26 minutes – the 25–year-old playing a neat give-and-go with Bart Nieuwkoop following a quick throw-in on the right before cutting inside and beating Mickey van der Hart with a low drive that the home ‘keeper got a hand to but couldn’t prevent ending up in the bottom corner of his net .

Having last tasted the glory of a league title all the way back in 1999, the away side emerged with renewed vigour following the half time interval and clawed their way back onto level terms nine minutes after the restart – Berghuis taking advantage of the hospitality of the Zwolle backline and Feyenoord loanee, Calvin Verdonk in particular to once more cut in from the right before lashing the ball past van der Hart from the edge of the area to edge De club aan de Maas a point clear of bitter rivals, Ajax atop the standings and that little bit closer to ending the long suffering Rotterdam giant’s eighteen year wait for a fifteenth Eredivisie crown.

Elsewhere, FC Utrecht continued their relentless push for a place in the UEFA Europa League by putting FC Twente to the sword on Sunday afternoon to move five points clear in fourth.

Despite going in at half time empty handed following a dominant opening display, Utrecht eventually hit the front shortly after the hour mark with 21-year-old, Gyrano Kerk heading home from a pinpoint cross by Nacer Barazite.

The roles were then reversed as the former Arsenal man doubled the host’s advantage three minutes later – the 26-year-old squeezing the ball between Nick Marsman and the visiting ‘keeper’s near post having been teed up by Kerk.

Ajax loanee, Richairo Zivkovic then sealed the win for Utrecht twelve minutes after replacing Kerk – beating Marsman from just inside the area after being slipped in by the marauding Yassin Ayoub twelve minutes from time.

The thirtieth round of Eredivisie action was concluded at the Philips Stadion where reigning back-to-back champions, PSV Eindhoven put the disappointment of seeing their hopes of third straight Eredivisie crown disappear following a frustrating draw in Enschede on Thursday evening by hitting visitors, Willem II for five on Sunday afternoon.

Despite the emphatic nature of the eventual score-line, Erwin van de Looi’s men should have taken the lead ten minutes before the break when, despite replays clearly showing Thom Haye’s long range strike to have landed a substantial distance behind the line after coming off the underside of Jeroen Zoet’s crossbar, with no goal-line technology available to referee, Pol van Boekel, the visitors saw their appeals waved away after the official consulted with his assistant.

Having seen their grip on a third successive Eredivisie title begin to slip from their grasp when a similar situation had resulted in victory for Feyenoord after Zoet had unwittingly carried the ball over his own goal line in the two side’s ultimately decisive meeting at De Kuip at the end of February, the hosts capitalised on their good fortune on this occasion by taking the lead a minute into time added on at the end of the first half when Nicolas Isimat-Mirin ghosted in to head the home side ahead from an Andres Guardado corner.

Ten minutes into the second half the hosts doubled their advantage in carbon copy fashion – the unmarked Marco van Ginkel heading home another Guardado corner in the 55^th minute.

Gaston Pereiro made it three for Cocu’s men fourteen minutes from time – bending the ball beyond the reach of visiting ‘keeper, Kostas Lamprou from close range after waltzing through the away side’s static rear guard to bag his tenth of what has been a prolific season for the 21-year-old Uruguayan before Mexican international, Guardado claimed a much-deserved goal of his own by unleashing a rocket from the edge of the box.

Van Ginkel then illustrated why Phillip Cocu is so eager to see the Dutch international return to Eindhoven on loan for a third time next term by putting the icing on a comprehensive victory for the home side with his seventh goal in eleven Eredivisie outings since his return from Stamford Bridge in January – beating Lamprou from the edge of the area after Guardado had slipped the 24-year-old in having dispossessed Erik Falkenburg deep in the away side’s half to leave Cocu’s men five points off the summit with a decisive meeting with second placed, Ajax on the horizon at the end of April as the dethroned champions look to take the solace of UEFA Champions League qualification from what has proved a disappointing campaign thus far.

Results: Week 30

Sparta Rotterdam 2-3 Excelsior

Vitesse Arnhem 4-2 SC Heerenveen

NEC Nijmegen 1-5 AFC Ajax

ADO Den Haag 4-3 FC Groningen

Go Ahead Eagles 1-4 Heracles

AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Roda JC

PEC Zwolle 2-2 Feyenoord

FC Utrecht 3-0 FC Twente

PSV Eindhoven 5-0 Willem II

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The games continued to come thick and fast in the Dutch top flight with the twenty ninth round of Eredivisie fixtures kicking off on Tuesday evening at the Stadion Woudestein where high flying FC Utrecht picked up a third win on the bounce at the expense of struggling Excelsior.

However, it was the hosts who hit the front with just five minutes on the clock when Mike van Duinen shrugged off the attentions of Kevin Conboy to put the home side into the ascendancy with a low drive to the far post that was beyond the reach of visiting ‘keeper, David Jensen.

Despite then seeing a Jurgen Mattheij effort ruled out for offside in the 17^th minute and appearing to be in complete control of proceedings, Michell van der Gaag’s men ultimately failed to take anything from this encounter and saw their lead wiped out six minutes before the interval when referee, Jeroen Manschot awarded the visitors a penalty after Jordy de Wijs had tripped Sebastien Haller in the host’s area which Utrecht’s talismanic Frenchman then rolled past Warner Hahn to become the club’s all-time leading foreign goal-scorer – netting his 41^st goal since his arrival from Auxerre.

The visitors wasted little time in taking the lead following the restart – Willem Janssen seeing his goal-bound strike headed into his own net by the unlucky Mattheij in the 48^th minute before Erik ten Hag’s men sealed all three points seven minutes later when, having seen a Zakaria Labyad strike rattle Hahn’s crossbar, Haller was on hand to tee up Gyrano Kerk for the away side’s third.

With Utrecht almost assured of a place in the UEFA Europa League playoff places, Tuesday’s other fixture saw another European aspirant – Heerenveen, record just their third win since the turn of the year at the expense of Excelsior’s cross-city rivals, Sparta Rotterdam.

Despite eventually hitting their visitors for three, the home side struggled to break down Alex Pastoor’s well-drilled outfit in a goalless first period and it wasn’t until eleven minutes into the second half that Jurgen Streppel’s side finally made the breakthrough – Pelle van Amersfoort lobbing the ball over the head of Roy Kortsmit from the unlikeliest of angles before a flick on by Joost van Aken following a Sam Larsson free kick found its way past the Sparta ‘keeper eighteen minutes from time to double the host’s advantage.

Having seen his earlier goal-bound effort cleared off the line by David Mendes da Silva in a frustrating opening half for the home side, Heerenveen’s top scorer, Reza Ghoochannejhad found himself in the right place at the right time to seal all three points when Kortsmit could only parry Larsson’s strike into the Iranian international nine minutes from time.

Wednesday’s Eredivisie action got underway in Almelo where cup finalists, Vitesse Arnhem continued to close in on a place in the UEFA Europa League playoffs by taking all three points at the expense of hosts, Heracles in a bad tempered affair which saw both sides reduced to ten men.

Despite making a bright start, John Stegeman’s side failed to turn their early opportunities into goals and were made to pay for their profligacy two minutes before the break – Navarone Foor putting Henk Fraser’s side into the ascendancy in the 43^rd minute when Milot Rashica intercepted a poor clearance by Robin Gosens to tee up Foor who then curled the ball beyond the reach of Bram Castro.

Despite Reuven Niemeijer rattling Eloy Room’s right hand upright for the home side in the 55^th minute, things rapidly went south for the hosts thereafter – the home side being reduced to ten men a minute later by referee, Christiaan Bax after the official gave Robin Propper his marching orders when the centre half picked up his second yellow card in the space of five minutes after tugging back Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

Despite the visitors also later finding themselves a man down when Kevin Diks was dismissed four minutes from time – the man on loan from Fiorentina collecting his second yellow card of the match after needlessly shoving substitute, Brahim Darri to the ground as the two contested a high ball, Fraser’s side held on for all three points.

Like their northern neighbours, Heerenveen, Groningen have struggled to put wins on the board since the turn of the year but did post what was just their second victory since the turn of the year by seeing off struggling NEC Nijmegen on Wednesday evening.

Mimoun Mahi set the home side on the road to their first victory since mid-January by putting Ernest Faber’s side into the ascendancy on the half hour mark – Leandro Bacuna capitalising on a Julian von Haacke error before slipping Mahi in to fire the hosts ahead before Bacuna sealed a much-needed victory for Groningen by finding the net from range in the 67^th minute.

Having ushered in the Robert Maaskant era with, what was, just their second away triumph in the league this term, Go Ahead Eagles arrived at De Kuip on Wednesday evening – despite their precarious league position, boasting a relatively good recent away record – having lost just once in their last six on the road.

However, following defeat in Sunday’s Klassieker, hosts Feyenoord were eager to resume normal service following an out-of-sorts display in Amsterdam and, with the added incentive of putting their lowly visitors in their place after the Deventer-based outfit had remarkably become the first Eredivisie side this season to inflict defeat on the Rotterdam giants in the two side’s previous encounter at the start of November, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s title chasers showed little mercy  – hitting their struggling visitors for eight without reply.

The home side wasted little time putting their guests to the sword – Steven Berghuis hitting the byline before teeing up Jens Toorntra to put the hosts into the ascendancy with just nine minutes gone before Eljero Elia doubled the league leader’s advantage on the quarter hour with a rare right-footed effort from just outside the box that left visiting ‘keeper, Theo Zwarthoed rooted to the spot.

It was three on the half hour – Feyenoord skipper, Dirk Kuyt claiming his 150^th Eredivisie goal from close range to open the floodgates as first Toornstra in the 41^st and then Jan-Arie van der Heijden on the stroke of half time found the back of the net to send the hosts in at the interval five goals to the good.

Things would only get worse in the second half for Maaskant’s beleaguered side who saw Eric Botteghin make it six five minutes after the restart – nodding the ball in on the goal-line after being found by central defensive colleague, van der Heijden’s powerful back-post header following a Feyenoord corner from the left.

Further misery was still to come for the visitors – Michiel Kramer eventually heading home the host’s seventh eighteen minutes from time after having squandered a plethora of opportunities following his inclusion in place of the club’s injured top scorer, Nicolai Jorgensen, before Toornstra thumped in number eight to complete his hat-trick in the 90^th minute with a well-taken half volley at the back post to cap off a dominant performance by the home side which maintained their three point advantage over second placed Ajax at the top of the Eredivisie standings.

Meanwhile, the emphatic nature of the score-line was enough to send the visitors tumbling back to the foot of table.

While relegation rivals, Go Ahead Eagles were being flogged in Rotterdam, ADO Den Haag took the opportunity to move clear of the bottom three by recording their third win in their last four outings with success in Tilburg against Willem II.

Despite the hosts making the better start, it was the visitors who hit the front – Abdenasser el Khayati beating Kostas Lamprou from the edge of the box after smartly side-stepping the challenge of Darryl Lachman in the 21^st minute.

However, the away side’s advantage would be wiped out just three minutes later – Watford loanee, Obbi Oularé punishing the poor handling of Robert Zwinkels after the visiting ‘keeper failed to hold on to a Pele van Anholt header.

Yet Alfons Groenendijk’s men weren’t about to let victory slip through their fingers and the away side ultimately sealed all three points three minutes before the break – Japanese international, Mike Havenaar beating Lamprou with a smart turn and strike in the box just seconds after Erik Falkenburg had missed a guilt-edged opportunity to give the home side the lead at the other end of the field while Zwinkels also made amends for his earlier error by denying Elmo Lieftink from point blank range with five minutes to go.

Wednesday’s Eredivisie action was concluded at the Amsterdam ArenA where second placed Ajax followed up victory in Sunday’s Klassieker with a win over cup finalists, AZ Alkmaar.

The hosts wasted little time in asserting their authority in front of a vociferous home crowd – Justin Kluivert picking out Bertrand Traore for the Chelsea loanee to fire the home side into the ascendancy just after the quarter hour.

Despite their first half dominance, the hosts failed to add to their advantage in the opening forty five minutes and, ten minutes into the second half, found themselves back on level terms. This game marked Tim Krul’s return to the club where he spent the first half of the campaign on loan from Newcastle United before accepting a switch to Alkmaar during the January transfer window in search of first team football with Andre Onana having made the number one jersey his own at the Amsterdam ArenA.

However, it would be Onana’s error that would allow the away side back into the contest – the Cameroon international rushing out of his goal but failing to beat Wout Weghorst to a long ball which left the former Heracles striker the simple task of nodding into an empty net.

Yet Peter Bosz’s side weren’t about to relinquish their grip on the title just yet and restored their advantage nineteen minutes from time through an incredible bicycle kick from Colombian centre half, Davinson Sanchez.

Traore was then adjudged by referee, Dennis Higler to have been unlawfully brought down in the visitor’s area by the challenge of Rens van Eijden after which Lasse Schone stepped up to tuck away his second in as many games from the resultant spot kick to give the host’s a two-goal cushion with eight minutes to go.

However, the away side could have found themselves back into the contest five minutes later but Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s low drive three minutes from time only find the foot of Onana’s left hand upright.

Having missed out on the victory over Feyenoord on Sunday, Amin Younes capped off a stand-out performance by adding a fourth two minutes from time after being sent clear by a pinpoint goal kick from Onana to keep Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men within reach with just five games left to play.

Thursday’s Eredivisie action got underway in Kerkrade where Roda JC left it late to pick up just their fifth win of what has been a tough campaign thus far for Yannis Anastasiou’s side at the expense of PEC Zwolle.

However, it was the away side – fresh from unveiling John van ‘t Schip as successor to the departing Ron Jans, who made the brighter start and, having seen Frederic Ananou deny Queensy Menig with a last gasp block on the line just minutes earlier – the Ajax loanee seizing upon a wayward back-pass by Christian Kum and rounding Benjamin van Leer in the Roda goal before being denied by the 19-year-old German centre half, the visitors deservedly took the lead five minutes before the break through Younes Mokhtar who tapped the ball into an empty net after being teed up by the unselfish play of Ryan Thomas when the New Zealander found himself one-on-one with van Leer.

Despite their poor first half display the hosts emerged for the second half a different team and drew level three minutes after the restart – Gyliano van Velzen somehow managing to steer the ball past Mickey van der Hart with his backside after being picked out by a pinpoint near-post  cross from Mohamed El Makrini.

The hosts would then go on to secure a vital win in their quest to avoid the drop – Mikhail Rosheuvel pouncing to nod home the winner a minute from time after Beni Badibanga’s long range strike had initially rattled van der Hart’s crossbar.

The twenty ninth round of Eredivisie action was concluded in Enschede where FC Twente put Sunday’s derby defeat behind them by effectively ending PSV Eindhoven’s title hopes by virtue of a last gasp equaliser from Manchester City loanee, Bersant Celina.

Rene Hake’s men started the game the brighter of the two and took the lead with just seven minutes on the clock through another man on loan from the blue half of Manchester – Enes Unal, who, having shrugged off the attentions of Hector Moreno, beat Dutch international ‘keeper, Jeroen Zoet to bag the Turkish international’s fifth goal in his last six league outings.

However, the home side’s lead was soon wiped out by a second in as many games from the fit-again, Jurgen Locadia on the quarter hour mark after the 23-year-old had been put through by an angled ball from Davy Propper.

Despite Joachim Andersen having hit the base of Zoet’s right hand upright in the 25^th minute, it was Phillip Cocu’s side who were the next to find the net – Moreno scrambling the ball over the line after Chelsea loanee, Marco van Ginkel’s initial header across the face of the host’s goal was parried into the path of the Mexican defender by home ‘keeper, Nick Marsman six minutes after the restart.

Yet the visitors were to be denied all three points and, in all likelihood, a third Eredivisie crown in as many years when substitute, Enis Bunjaki played in Celina for the Kosovar international to slide the ball beyond the reach of Zoet and earn the home side a share of the spoils in the dying seconds – leaving PSV seven points off the pace with just five matches left to play.

Results: Week 29

Excelsior 1-3 FC Utrecht

SC Heerenveen 3-0 Sparta Rotterdam

Heracles Almelo 0-1 Vitesse Arnhem

FC Groningen 2-0 NEC Nijmegen

Feyenoord 8-0 Go Ahead Eagles

Willem II 1-2 ADO Den Haag

AFC Ajax 4-1 AZ Alkmaar

Roda JC 2-1 PEC Zwolle

FC Twente 2-2 PSV Eindhoven

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Following the international break, the twenty eighth round of Eredivisie action got off to a false start on Saturday evening at the AFAS Stadion where cup finalists, AZ Alkmaar were held goalless by visitors, Groningen.

At the same time, visitors, Excelsior came from behind to pick up a priceless point in their battle to avoid the drop at the expense of hosts, PEC Zwolle at the MAC3PARK Stadion.

Yet it was the home side – buoyed by victory over local rivals, Go Ahead Eagles last time out, who seemed on course for a second win on the bounce when Ajax loanee, Django Warmerdam beat Feyenoord loanee, Warner Hahn from outside the box to notch his second goal in as many games in the 26^th minute.

However, as the visitors proved last time out by frustrating the title ambitions of high-flying Ajax, Mitchell van der Gaag’s men are determined to retain their Eredivisie status and were back on level terms just eight minutes later – Luigi Bruins slotting the ball past Mickey van der Hart after being slipped in by Mike van Duinen eleven minutes before the break to ultimately edge the tiny Rotterdam-based outfit two points clear of the bottom three ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.

Despite there being no further goals, both sides threatened to edge themselves ahead before the break – Danny Holla rattling Hahn’s left hand upright in the 38^th minute for the hosts before Excelsior’s Stanley Elbers slammed the ball against van der Hart’s crossbar in the 44^th minute.

Elsewhere, reigning back-to-back champions, PSV Eindhoven temporarily moved into second placed by taking all three points from their trip to another side struggling at the wrong end of the table – Sparta Rotterdam.

With PSV’s title rivals, Ajax and Feyenoord set to lock horns in De Klassieker at the Amsterdam ArenA on Sunday afternoon, Phillip Cocu’s men knew that all three points were imperative if they harboured any hopes of remaining in the title picture and took the lead in the 21^st minute – Jurgen Locadia beating Roy Kortsmit from just outside the box with a low drive to notch his first goal of an injury-ravaged campaign after the home side failed to adequately clear their lines following a Jetro Willems corner from the left.

With Jerson Cabral having failed to punish Jeroen Zoet after the Dutch international ‘keeper was involved in a mix-up with centre half, Hector Moreno – despite the former Feyenoord man being presented with an open goal, it was instead the visitors who made the home side pay for their profligacy by capitalising on an error in the home defence to double their advantage and ultimately secure all three points –  a Rick van Drongelen mistake allowing Chelsea loanee, Marco van Ginkel to skip around an exposed Kortsmit and roll the ball into an empty net three minutes before the break to move Cocu’s side within five points of league leader’s, Feyenoord.

FC Utrecht moved five points clear in fourth after seeing off fellow European hopefuls, Willem II on Saturday evening.

The hosts were the first out of the blocks at the Stadion Galgenwaard and had Sebastien Haller to thank when the talismanic Frenchman put the home side into the ascendancy with just ten minutes on the clock – Haller latching onto a pin-point cross from the left by Kevin Conboy to beat Kostas Lamprou in the visiting goal and notch his fortieth goal in Utrecht colours – a strike which equalled Stefaan Tanghe’s record as the club’s top foreign goal scorer.

Having wasted a number of chances to make the points safe, Erik ten Hag’s side eventually sealed the victory in the third minute of added time at the end of the game when Ajax loanee, Richairo Zivkovic found himself in the right place at the right time to tap the ball in from close range after Nacer Barazite had seen his curling effort cannon off both of Lamprou’s uprights.

At the same time, hosts Heracles came from behind to see off visitors, Heerenveen in emphatic fashion in Almelo – the hosts hitting Jurgen Streppel’s side for four at the Polman Stadion.

The visitors couldn’t have asked for a better start as, with just five minutes on the clock, Iranian international Reza Ghoochannejhad handed the away side the lead from the penalty spot – Mike te Wierik having brought down Pelle van Amersfoort in the box leaving referee, Martin van den Kerkhof  with little choice but to award Streppel’s out-of-form side a spot-kick.

Yet, despite being handed an early lead, instead of three much-needed points in their quest to secure a UEFA Europa League playoff place, Ghoochannejhad’s strike instead proved to be the one bright spot in an otherwise wretched evening for Streppel’s side who were pegged back just four minutes later when 22-year-old, Reuven Niemeijer slid home a Brandley Kuwas cross from the right at the back post to mark his first league start for the hosts with a first Eredivisie goal in the ninth minute.

Heracles’ top scorer, Samuel Armenteros put the hosts into the ascendancy with a well-placed free kick eleven minutes later before Kuwas repeated the free-scoring Swede’s feat by slamming home a set piece of his own with 26 minutes gone.

Things were starting to unravel for the visitors who then had Jerry St. Juste dismissed just after the half hour mark following a reckless challenge on Robin Gosens which earned the 20-year-old a second yellow card from referee, van den Kerkhof in the 31^st minute.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors as any thoughts Streppel’s troops may have harboured of a comeback were dispelled when Kristoffer Peterson made it four for John Stegeman’s men just short of the interval – the Swede heading home a Kuwas corner from the right, to leave the hosts just three points off their visitors and keep alive their dream of snatching a UEFA Europa League playoff place.

On the other hand, having suffered a third straight defeat and with just two wins since the winter break, Heerenveen’s once promising season appears to have completely come off the rails.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the GelreDome where cup finalists, Vitesse Arnhem took the bragging rights by seeing off NEC Nijmegen in the Gelderse derby thanks to a double from Ricky van Wolfswinkel.

Following a goalless opening period, van Wolfswinkel was on hand to head home a Lewis Baker free kick from the edge of the box five minutes into the second half before NEC substitute, Ferdi Kadioglu clawed Peter Hyballa’s strugglers back on level terms – curling the ball into the top left hand corner of Eloy Room’s net in the 66^th minute – just seven minutes after replacing Gregor Breinburg.

Having posted just three wins since the turn of the year, Hyballa’s troops have struggled to put points on the board following a promising first half of the campaign and now find themselves just three points above the bottom three and the away side failed to take anything from their trip to Arnhem after referee, Serdar Gozubuyuk awarded the hosts a penalty six minutes from time when Michael Heinloth handled the ball in the area leaving van Wolfswinkel to ensure local bragging rights would belong to Henk Fraser’s side – beating visiting ‘keeper, Joris Delle from the spot to notch his sixteenth strike of a prolific first season back in the Netherlands for the 28-year-old Dutch international.

Elsewhere, in what was billed as a real relegation six-pointer, ADO Den Haag edged closer to safety by hitting fellow strugglers, Roda JC for four at the Kyocera Stadion on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts caught their visitors cold with just forty six seconds on the clock – Sheraldo Becker firing the home side into the ascendancy after being slipped in down the right by an incisive ball from Dion Malone.

The home side then doubled their advantage from the spot just before the half hour mark – Abdenasser El Khayati sweeping home the penalty after Christian Kum was adjudged to have handled the ball in the visitor’s area by referee, Dennis Higler.

Any hopes Yannis Anastasiou’s side may have harboured of making a comeback were dispelled on the hour mark when Japanese international, Mike Havenaar added a third with a close range tap in after visiting ‘keeper, Benjamin van Leer failed to hold on to Malone’s initial effort from just outside the area.

Things went from bad to worse for the Kerkrade-based outfit who saw Guyon Fernandez head home the host’s fourth from a Randy Wolters cross from the left for Alfons Groenendijk’s side in the 87^th minute before Mohamed El Makrini netted a consolation for the well-beaten visitors with a low drive from the edge of the area a minute from time.

There was little doubt as to the game of the weekend as second placed, Ajax played host to league leaders, Feyenoord in De Klassieker at the Amsterdam ArenA on Sunday afternoon.

Having dropped what could ultimately prove to be two crucial points away at Excelsior a week earlier and having also seen PSV edge ahead of them following the reigning back-to-back champions’ victory over Sparta on Saturday evening, Peter Bosz’s side knew that, if they were to have any hope of bridging the six point gap between the two sides, that nothing less than victory over their bitter rivals would suffice and the home side got off to the best possible start as Lasse Schone lashed a stunning 30-yard free kick in off the underside of visiting ‘keeper, Brad Jones’ crossbar with just fifty four seconds on the clock.

Things went from bad to worse for the away side as Giovanni van Bronckhorst saw his top scorer – Nicolai Jorgensen forced off through injury in the eleventh minute and, unable to get a foot-hold in the match, the away side’s frustrations boiled over on the half hour when Steven Berghuis petulantly fired an errant ball back into the crowd while waiting to take a corner kick from the left – resulting in the Watford loanee being hit on the back of the head by one of a number of projectiles that subsequently rained down on the playing surface.

With the away side seemingly teetering on the brink of the sort of capitulation that had, until recently, become their hallmark in big match situations following the turn of the century, the hosts soon doubled their advantage through recent big-money signing – Brazilian, David Neres, who marked his first league start by getting on the end of a perfectly placed ball from Hakim Ziyech in the 36^th minute.

Despite Jorgensen’s replacement – Michiel Kramer eventually finding a response for the visitors, his strike from just outside the area in the first minute of added time at the end of the match ultimately proved too-little-too-late for the league leaders to salvage anything from yet another disappointing trip to the Amsterdam ArenA.

Meanwhile, the victory saw Ajax reclaim second place from PSV while the Amsterdam giants also cut their bitter rival’s lead at the top of the standings to just three points with six games left to play.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action was concluded in Enschede, where new coach, Robert Maaskant marked his return to Go Ahead Eagles by masterminding victory over local rivals, FC Twente.

Having opted to dismiss coach, Hans de Koning following the disappointing home defeat to PEC Zwolle in the IJseelderby last time out, the appointment of Maaskant – who began his playing career at the club in 1989 before returning for a short spell as coach in 2003, had divided opinion on the terraces and despite an encouraging opening period, the sizeable travelling band of away fans felt that familiar sinking feeling once more on the stroke of half time when Manchester City loanee, Enes Unal found himself in the right place at the right time to tap the ball into an empty net to notch goal number fourteen of a fruitful season in the Dutch top flight for the 19-year-old marksman after Frederik Jensen – having wrong-footed Sander Duits, had been allowed to surge deep into the visitor’s area.

However, eight minutes into the second half the away side were back on level terms – Sam Hendriks turning home a low Marcel Ritzmaier cross from the left from the edge of the box.

The away side could have taken the lead on the hour only for Jarchinio Antonia to see his rasping right-footed effort from well outside the box cannon back off Nick Marsman’s crossbar.

However, the visitors didn’t have to wait long before the provider of Hendriks’ equaliser then turned goal-scorer – PSV loanee, Ritzmaier’s long range free kick catching out Twente’s former Eagle – Marsman in the home side’s net to ultimately bag three crucial points for the away side and get Maaskant’s third spell in Deventer off to a perfect start despite Chinedu Ede seeing a late goal controversially disallowed by referee, Ed Janssen who adjudged the substitute to have been in an offside position despite replays suggesting the German was level with the last man having been played in by fellow replacement, Jos Hooiveld eight minutes from time.

Despite newly appointed Eagles coach, Maaskant lifting his new side off the foot of the table at the expense of fellow strugglers, Roda JC, things don’t get any easier for the 48-year-old whose charges now face a tricky trip to De Kuip on Wednesday evening.

Results: Week 28

AZ Alkmaar 0-0 FC Groningen

PEC Zwolle 1-1 Excelsior

Sparta Rotterdam 0-2 PSV Eindhoven

FC Utrecht 2-0 Willem II

Heracles 4-1 SC Heerenveen

Vitesse Arnhem 2-1 NEC Nijmegen

AFC Ajax 2-1 Feyenoord

ADO Den Haag 4-1 Roda JC

FC Twente 1-2 Go Ahead Eagles

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The twenty seventh round of Eredivisie action got underway on Friday evening at the Parkstad Limburg Stadion where hosts Roda JC missed the opportunity to move out of the bottom three after being hit for three by visitors, FC Twente.

Having picked up three much needed points last time out against Groningen after two successive defeats had previously plunged Yannis Anastasiou’s side deep into the relegation mire, the hosts – who were looking to record their first back-to-back victories of what has been a tough campaign thus far, found themselves – despite having made a bright start to proceedings, a goal down on the half hour mark – Fredrik Jensen latching on to a perfectly weighted through ball by Mateusz Klich before shrugging off the attentions of Frederic Ananou and calmly slotting the ball under home ‘keeper Benjamin van Leer to put the visitors into the ascendancy.

Despite being unable to take part in the end-of-season UEFA Europa League playoffs due to the sanctions imposed in the wake of the club’s emergence from financial oblivion last summer, Rene Hake’s men have never let their attitude or professionalism come into question this season and the away side were on course for a fourth away success of the campaign when Jensen doubled the visitor’s advantage two minutes before the break – Chinedu Ede finding the 19-year-old midfielder who – having been afforded a remarkable amount of time and space in the host’s area, slipped the ball past an exposed van Leer.

FC Twente have recently been locked in negotiations with Manchester City to extend free-scoring Turkish international, Enes Unal’s stay in Enschede and the 19-year-old was on hand to dispel any hopes the struggling hosts may have harboured of making a comeback thirteen minutes from time – slotting the ball through the legs of van Leer after running onto a perfectly judged slide-rule pass from fellow Manchester City loanee, Yaw Yeboah to notch his thirteenth of the season and, in the process, seal all three points for Hake’s side who, as a result, moved up to fifth ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action began at the Noordlease Stadion where, despite dominating proceedings hosts, Groningen had to be content with sharing the spoils with a stubborn Willem II.

After dominating the opening period the hosts – whose last victory came in mid-January, hit the front four minutes after the restart when Ruben Jenssen found himself in the right place at the right time to beat the host’s in-form ‘keeper, Kostas Lamprou from just inside the box after seeing Simon Tibbling’s initial effort deflect his way.

Having won two of their last three on the road ahead of making the trip north, Ewin van de Looi’s men looked to be at it again when Obbi Oulare headed home Jordy Croux’s pinpoint cross from the left with 54 minutes gone – the Watford loanee’s strike ultimately securing an undeserved point for van de Looi’s current side at the expense of his former employers to keep the Tilburg-based outfit’s unlikely quest for a UEFA Europa League playoff place on track.

Elsewhere, PSV Eindhoven kept up the pressure on Ajax and Feyenoord by squeezing past visitors, Vitesse Arnhem.

Despite enjoying the majority of the chances in a scoreless first period, Phillip Cocu’s men had to wait until five minute into the second half to break the deadlock – Newcastle United loanee, Siem de Jong notching his fourth goal in his last three outings for the reigning back-to-back champions by rifling the ball into the top corner of Eloy Room’s net from just inside the area after his late run had been found by the vision of Mexican international, Andres Guardado following a well-worked corner routine.

While de Jong’s strike was ultimately enough to see off the cup finalists and pull the hosts within a point of second placed Ajax, Cocu’s side could have doubled their advantage fourteen minutes from time but substitute, Jurgen Locadia saw his rasping effort cannon back off Room’s right hand upright before the visiting ‘keeper did well to rebuff Marco van Ginkel – denying the Chelsea loanee from close range before clawing the loose ball off the line five minutes from time.

FC Utrecht heaped more misery on hosts, NEC Nijmegen – who continued to tread water at the wrong end of the table after being hit for three in front of their own fans on Saturday evening.

With just one win in their last seven outings, Peter Hyballa’s men looked devoid of both confidence and inspiration in the early stages at the Goffertstadion and it came as little surprise when Zakaria Labyad’s deflected shot handed the visitors the lead on the half hour mark who then doubled their advantage when Erik ten Hag’s men hit their hosts with a swift counter attack that was finished off by Yassin Ayoub eight minutes before the break.

The away side made sure of all three points just after the hour mark – talismanic Frenchman, Sebastien Haller slotting past home ‘keeper, Joris Delle after being slipped in by Sofyan Amrabat.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded at Het Kasteel, where struggling, Sparta Rotterdam put last week’s five-goal hammering in Arnhem behind them by seeing off visitors, Heracles to move five points clear of the bottom three ahead of Sunday’s fixtures.

Alex Pastoor’s men hit the front just short of the half hour mark when an effort from star man, Ryan Sanusi took a wicked deflection off Heracles centre half, Justin Hoogma to take the ball beyond the reach of Bram Castro in the visiting goal.

Yet, the host’s advantage looked to be short-lived when the away side were awarded a penalty ten minutes before the break – referee, Bas Nijhuis pointing to the spot after Tom Breukers was brought down by Loris Brogno in the host’s area. However, the resultant spot-kick from away side’s usually lethal Swedish marksman – Samuel Armenteros was easily fielded by Ryan Kortsmit.

The hosts made their visitors pay for their profligacy eight minutes after the restart – Martin Pusic netting his first goal in a Sparta shirt following his January loan move from FC Midtjylland –the Austrian heading home at the back post following a Jerson Cabral free kick from the right before the much-travelled 29-year-old then made sure of all three points for Pastoor’s side by bagging a second of the game seventeen minutes from time – heading a Brogno cross from the left past Castro from close range.

While John Stegeman’s side did manage to get themselves on the scoresheet, Joel Pelupessy’s cracker ultimately counted for nothing.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway at the Abe Lenstra Stadion where top-of-the-table, Feyenoord took a step closer to securing their first league title since 1999 by coming from behind to eventually edge out their hosts, Heerenveen.

Despite having won just twice since the winter break, Jurgen Streppel’s side hit the front from the penalty spot eighteen minutes in – Reza Ghoochannejhad getting up to convert the resultant spot-kick after referee, Dennis Higler had ruled that the Iranian international had been brought down in the area by Miquel Nelom.

However, in spite of having gone in at the break a goal-to-the-good, the hosts failed to turn their half time lead into points and found themselves back on level terms just eleven minutes after the restart – Nicolai Jorgensen finding himself in the right place at the right time to bag his twenty third goal of a prolific debut season with the Rotterdam giants after Lucas Bijker could only deflect a Karim El Ahmadi cross that was initially intended for Jens Toornstra right into the path of Feyenoord’s Danish marksman.

Not content with taking just a point back to Rotterdam with the season’s second instalment of De Klassieker to come after the international break, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men helped themselves to all three to move seven points clear of Ajax ahead of their bitter rivals’ encounter with Excelsior later on Sunday afternoon – Tonny Vilhena smashing the ball hard and low past former team-mate, Erwin Mulder in the Heerenveen goal after being teed up by Watford loanee, Steven Berghuis twenty minutes from time.

Elsewhere, PEC Zwolle came away from their trip to De Adelaarshorst with all three points and local bragging rights after completing the double over their local rivals, Go Ahead Eagles in the IJsselderby.

With three local derbies and a trip to De Kuip to come in their next four outings ahead of the visit of Ron Jans’ side, Hans de Koning’s men knew that this was a game that the Eredivisie cellar-dwellers simply had to take all three points from if they were to stand any chance of escaping the dreaded bottom three before the end of the campaign.

With this in mind, the hosts made the perfect start – Liverpool loanee, Pedro Chirivella bagging his second since arriving in Deventer during the January transfer window – sliding home a perfectly placed outside of the right boot cross from another of the home side’s loan stars – Brighton‘s Elvis Manu, past former Eagle – Mickey van der Hart, with just three minutes gone.

However, the home side’s advantage wasn’t to last and, just two minutes later, the away side were back on level terms through Ajax loanee, Queensy Menig – the 21-year-old nicking a flick-on from Birmingham City loanee, Nicolai Brock-Madsen away from the advancing Theo Zwarthoed before rounding the host’s stranded ‘keeper and rolling the ball into an empty net to make it all square with five minutes on the clock.

With the difficulty of their run-in towards the end of the campaign foremost in their mind, taking just a point from a fixture they had earmarked to win was clearly not an option for de Koning’s men who went in search of all three following the break but, having thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at their visitors, the hosts were instead caught short at the back – Django Warmerdam – another Ajax loanee, lashing a low drive past Zwarthoed eight minutes from time after the 21-year-old had been found in acres of space on the left by a pinpoint cross-field ball from Mustafa Saymak.

Having already taken the spoils in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, Ron Jans’ men were able to celebrate a convincing double over their local rivals when Bram van Polen converted from the spot two minutes from time after referee, Danny Makkelie had ruled that Arsenal loanee, Daniel Crowley had unlawfully blocked the late run of Ryan Thomas following a Warmerdam corner from the right.

Three days after this latest setback, with the Eagles rooted to the foot of the standings having taken just one point from their last five outings and four points adrift of safety with just seven games left to play, the club opted to relieve coach, Hans de Koning of his duties with his assistants – Harry Decheiver and Michel Boerebach, assuming temporary charge of the struggling Deventer-based outfit as the club look to avoid a swift return to the second tier of Dutch football.

With Feyenoord having extended their lead at the top of the standings to seven points following their victory over Heerenveen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men had local neighbours, Excelsior to thank after Mitchell van der Gaag’s strugglers held title-chasing Ajax at the Stadion Woudestein on Sunday afternoon.

Having been called up to Danny Blind’s Netherlands squad for the upcoming fixtures with Bulgaria and Italy following a string of impressive displays at the heart of the Ajax rear guard, Matthijs de Ligt began this encounter in similarly impressive fashion – the 17-year-old’s perfectly timed tackle denying Mike van Duinen a clear goal-scoring opportunity with just twelve minutes gone.

However, despite his recent good form, a poorly judged pass across the face of his own goal from the talented young defender thirteen minutes later left van Duinen in the clear with time and space aplenty to rifle the ball – via the left knee of Kenny Tete, past the exposed Andre Onana and give van der Gaag’s strugglers an unlikely lead with twenty five minutes on the clock.

Despite the host’s advantage lasting just six minutes – Justin Kluivert’s first ever Eredivisie strike levelling proceedings just after the hour mark, a winning goal ultimately proved elusive for Peter Bosz’s troops who consequently slipped six points off the pace following Feyenoord’s win earlier in the day in Heerenveen.

With their title hopes seemingly hanging by a thread, Ajax now find themselves in a must-win situation with bitter rivals, Feyenoord next up for Bosz’s troops at the Amsterdam ArenA following the international break in the second instalment of De Klassieker on 2^nd April – an encounter that will go a long way to deciding who reigns supreme at the top of the standings come the end of the season.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action was concluded at the AFAS Stadion where hosts, AZ Alkmaar hit struggling ADO Den Haag for four to keep their quest for a UEFA Europa League playoff place on track after recording just their third league win since the turn of the year and their first since mid-February.

John van den Brom’s side were out of the blocks quickly – Dabney dos Santos sliding the ball past Robert Zwinkels after being teed up by the head of Iranian international, Alireza Jahanbakhsh with just seven minutes gone before the 20-year-old then doubled the host’s advantage six minutes later with a simple finish from the edge of the box after a perfectly weighted through ball from Jahanbakhsh slipped in Stijn Wuytens whose square pass across the face of goal left dos Santos with the goal at his mercy.

Joris van Overeem made it three nine minutes before the break with a perfectly weighted lob before then turning provider on the hour to put the seal on a dominant performance by the hosts – Fred Friday slamming the 22-year-old’s audacious back heel from the by-line into the roof of Zwinkel’s net from the edge of the box.

Results: Week 27

Roda JC 0-3 FC Twente

Fc Groningen 1-1 Willem II

PSV Eindhoven 1-0 Vitesse Arnhem

NEC Nijmegen 0-3 FC Utrecht

Sparta Rotterdam 3-1 Heracles

SC Heerenveen 1-2 Feyenoord

Go Ahead Eagles 1-3 PEC Zwolle

Excelsior 1-1 AFC Ajax

AZ Alkmaar 4-0 ADO Den Haag

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The twenty fourth round of Eredivisie action got underway on Friday evening in The Hague where hosts, ADO Den Haag – despite earning their first point under new coach, Alfons Groenendijk, missed the opportunity to climb off the foot of the table after being held by visitors, FC Twente.

The hosts came into this encounter having lost all six of their league outings since the turn of the year but looked to be on course for a rare three points when Ruben Schaken put the hosts into the ascendancy after only twelve minutes had been played at the Kyocera Stadion – Schaken finding himself in the right place at the right time to tap the ball into an unguarded net after Nick Marsman had earlier denied Guyon Fernandez on the edge of the box – the 30-year-old winter signing having initially been slipped in by an incisive pass from Dion Malone.

However, while the wait for a first point of the Alfons Groenendijk era was brought to an end, the host’s wait for a first victory continued thanks to Manchester City loanee, Enes Unal, who brought Rene Hake’s men back on level terms in the 26^th minute in spectacular fashion – the 19-year-old Turkish international beating ADO ‘keeper, Robert Zwinkels from range to notch his eleventh goal of a prolific campaign and ultimately, consign the home side to the Eredivisie basement for another week.

However, it could have been so different for the hosts who went close to restoring their advantage just two minutes later and could have had a penalty when goal scorer, Schaken, having cut in from the right, teed up Malone whose deflected effort appeared to come off the arm of Hidde ter Avest before cannoning off a grateful Marsman’s left hand upright.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action kicked off with FC Utrecht coming out on top in a five-goal thriller with FC Groningen at the Noordlease Stadion.

Having recorded just one win since the turn of the year, the hosts came into this encounter with no win in their last five outings but found themselves with a two-goal cushion at the break thanks to a first half double from Bryan Linssen – the 26-year-old rising highest to head home a pinpoint Tom Hiariej cross from the right with just four minutes on the clock before doubling the host’s advantage on the stroke of half time – Linssen beating Willem Janssen to a hopeful punt by Jason Davidson before slotting the ball past an exposed David Jensen.

Having been largely outplayed by their hosts who had inflicted a five-goal hammering on their visitors in the reverse fixture in the early weeks of the season when both clubs were in the midst of a string of poor results – the visitors did almost draw level against the run of play when Gyrano Kerk headed a Giovanni Troupee cross from the right off home ‘keeper, Sergio Padt’s right hand upright.

However, having won three of their last four, Erik ten Hag saw his side respond impressively in the second period to turn the score-line on its head and remarkably snatch all three points – Sebastien Haller initially reducing the arrears with a powerful header following a corner from Yassin Ayoub nine minutes into the second half before Utrecht’s marauding 18-year-old full back, Troupee crashed the ball past home ‘keeper, Padt from just inside the area to bring the visitors back on level terms with eleven minutes to play leaving Ayoub to complete the turnaround – the 22-year-old Moroccan capping a fine individual display by waltzing through the home defence and poking the ball past an exposed Padt.

With no wins in their last ten outings – having last tasted victory in mid-November, it is unsurprising to see Excelsior in the midst of the relegation mire and their quest for Eredivisie survival was hardly helped by slipping up at home to Willem II – who themselves appear to have banished any worries relating to their own top flight safety, at the Stadion Woudestein on Saturday evening.

A dour opening period produced few chances and no goals with the hosts coming closest to opening the scoring in the form of full back, Khalid Karami – whose powerful strike from the edge of the area rattled visiting ‘keeper, Kostas Lamprou’s crossbar two minutes before the break.

Following the resumption, the game suddenly sprang to life with two quick-fire strikes just after the hour mark effectively sinking the hosts – Dico Koppers squeezing the ball past Warner Hahn from just outside the box after the home defence failed to clear a long throw in the 62^nd minute before Erik Falkenburg doubled the away side’s advantage just a minute later – heading home a Jordy Croux cross at the near post after the 23-year-old substitute had turned Bas Kuipers inside out on the right.

Things went from bad to worse for Mitchell van der Gaag’s side a minute into added time as they were reduced to ten men – substitute, Danilo Pantic being given his marching orders by referee, Ed Janssen after receiving a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Darryl Lachman.

However, while things were hardly getting any better in one Rotterdam-based outfit’s quest for top flight survival, another – Sparta Rotterdam, snatched a priceless three points following a narrow win over out-of-form, NEC Nijmegen at the Goffertstadion.

The hosts should have taken the lead just after the quarter hour when referee, Martin van den Kerkhof pointed to the spot after a reckless challenge from Mart Dijkstra sent Julian von Haacke sprawling in the visitor’s area only for Sparta ‘keeper, Roy Kortsmit to repel Gregor Breinburg’s spot-kick.

Alex Pastoor’s men – who have a KNVB Beker semi-final against Vitesse Arnhem to look forward to on Wednesday evening, made it five defeats on the bounce for Peter Hyballa’s men – who, having pulled away from the tightest relegation scrap the Netherlands has seen in many years, now appear in danger of being sucked right back into the battle for Eredivisie survival, thanks to a lone strike from Paco van Moorsel – the 27-year-old squeezing the ball between Joris Delle and the NEC ‘keeper’s left hand upright just after the half hour mark.

With just one win in seven outings since the turn of the year ahead of their encounter with struggling Roda JC on Saturday night, SC Heerenveen had appeared in danger of undoing all of the good work that Jurgen Streppel’s men had put in to an impressive first half of the campaign which had seen the Friesians riding the coat-tails of the ‘big three’ in the early part of the season.

Meanwhile, four points from the last six had seen Yannis Anastasiou’s men climb off the foot of the table and out of the bottom three, however, despite the recent arrival of co-owner, Alexei Korotaev and an overhaul of personnel during the January transfer window – bankrolled by the Russian banker’s millions, Roda are still struggling to pull clear of the relegation mire and the Kerkrade-based outfit were easily dispatched at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.

The visitor’s cause wasn’t helped by the 54^th minute dismissal of Mohammed El Makrini who was shown a straight red card by referee, Siemen Mulder following a reckless challenge on Real Madrid loanee, Martin Ødegaard.

With the visitors forced to play the remaining 36 minutes with ten men, it came as little surprise when their hosts made the breakthrough on the hour mark – Doke Schmidt rising highest to head home a well-placed set piece from Ødegaard.

The home side eventually killed off their undermanned visitors with a pair of quick-fire strikes in the dying moments – substitute, Henk Veerman squeezing the ball between the impressive Benjamin van Leer and the Roda ‘keeper’s near post in the 89^th minute before Iranian international, Reza Ghoochannejhad beat van Leer from the spot in the second minute of added time – referee, Mulder having awarded the hosts a penalty after Ard van Peppen had sent Sam Larsson tumbling in the area.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway at De Adelaarshorst where cup semi-finalist’s Vitesse Arnhem tuned up for their final four encounter with Sparta Rotterdam on Wednesday evening by seeing off hosts, Go Ahead Eagles.

With the home side’s recent revival – which had seen Hans de Koning’s side temporarily climb out of the bottom three after putting together their first back-to-back successes of the season – following up an away triumph over NEC Nijmegen by taking all three points from their relegation showdown with fellow strugglers, ADO Den Haag, having come to an abrupt halt in Kerkrade last time out, the Deventer-based outfit had hoped to catch their high-flying visitors with their eyes on their mid-week cup engagement.

However, despite the home side fashioning the majority of clear-cut chances in the first period, it was Henk Fraser’s side who – having lost their last two on the bounce, hit the front against the run of play with their only real goal-scoring opportunity of a lacklustre first half display – Ricky van Wolfswinkel showing some deft control to bring down a Kelvin Leerdam flick-on and evade the attentions of both Xandro Schenk and Marcel Ritzmaier before poking the ball past home ‘keeper, Theo Zwarthoed from close range just before the half hour mark.

If the visitor’s half time lead had been somewhat underserved, their second half display more than merited all three points – Navarone Foor bending the ball delightfully around Zwarthoed to double the visitor’s advantage seven minutes into the second half before Milot Rashica skinned Ritzmaier and slammed the ball past the home ‘keeper to ultimately seal all three points for the away side ten minutes from time who, as a result, edged back into the UEFA Europa League playoff places despite Arsenal loanee, Daniel Crowley netting a consolation for the home side two minutes from time.

Following a seven-goal thrashing at the hands of Lyon in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League tie on Thursday evening, AZ Alkmaar failed to lift the gloom in the air around the AFAS Stadion a little later on Sunday afternoon as John van den Brom’s side were held by struggling PEC Zwolle.

Despite having a cup semi-final against second tier, SC Cambuur to look forward on Thursday evening, the manner in which van den Brom’s men had been swept aside – shipping eleven goals over two legs in the tie overall against a French side who currently lie a distant fourth in Ligue 1 had led to some serious questions being asked regarding both the attitude of the players and the future of the coach and the growing consternation of those in the stands bubbled back to the surface once more when New Zealander, Ryan Thomas fired the away side into the ascendancy against the run of play three minutes after the break.

After having dominated the opening period, the second stanza became more of an end-to-end affair as the hosts were forced to open up in search of an equaliser and, despite Fred Friday’s close range finish sparing the blushes of van den Brom’s men nine minutes from time, the Nigerian’s fourth goal of the season in AZ colours did little to dispel the growing unrest amongst the supporters who will now turn a wary eye to their cup semi-final against Cambuur – a side who have accounted for both Ajax and FC Utrecht earlier in the competition.

There was little doubt as to which match was the stand-out fixture of the round – with two of the top three going head-to-head at De Kuip on Sunday afternoon where league leaders, Feyenoord took a huge step towards lifting their first Eredivisie title since 1999 by seeing off reigning back-to-back champions, PSV Eindhoven – effectively ending any hope Phillip Cocu’s men had of retaining their crown for a third season in succession.

With both sides unbeaten in the league in 2017, what was predicted to be a tight affair ultimately proved to be just that despite the home side coming out of the blocks quickly – squandering a host of opportunities in the opening minutes before Jens Toornstra fired the hosts into the ascendancy with just nine minutes on the clock – the 27-year-old Dutchman slamming his tenth of the season in all competitions past visiting ‘keeper, Jeroen Zoet after having been found unmarked just inside the area by a marauding Terence Kongolo.

Despite enjoying the majority of the chances in the first period, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side failed to add to their advantage and were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Uruguayan, Gaston Pereiro clawed the visitors back on level terms just after the hour mark – PSV’s top goal-scorer curling the ball delightfully beyond the despairing dive of Feyenoord’s Australian stopper, Brad Jones to restore parity in the 62^nd minute.

When Zoet was saved by the foot of his left hand upright just moments later after being beaten by a Steven Berghuis effort, it seemed as though the wretched luck that has dogged the Rotterdam club time and again over the course of what has been a tumultuous opening to the 21^st Century for one of the country’s ‘big three’, was set to strike again and derail the title ambitions of van Bronckhorst’s side and their long-suffering fan base.

However, there has been an element of irresistibility about Feyenoord’s title charge this term and when the breakthrough eventually did arrive for the hosts – who have suffered defeat on just one occasion all season in the league when they surprisingly went down at the hands of struggling Go Ahead Eagles at De Adelaarshorst at the start of November, it had no small element of fortune about it – referee, Bas Nijhuis at first appearing to rule that Dutch international stopper, Zoet had failed to prevent a Jan-Arie van der Heijden header from crossing the line following a Toornstra corner eight minutes from time via goal-line technology which then triggered a host of prolonged protests from the incredulous visitors before replays later indicated that the PSV ‘keeper had unwittingly taken the ball over the line after having initially denied the Feyenoord centre half.

With the reigning champions having effectively bowed out of the title race, it was over to second-placed, Ajax who, having seen Feyenoord temporarily extend their advantage at the top of the table to eight points, made it seven league wins in a row since the turn of the year by sweeping visitors, Heracles aside at the Amsterdam ArenA in the final match of the weekend, to keep their own title hopes alive and well.

However, despite Danish starlet, Kasper Dolberg having put the hosts into the ascendency with 23 minutes on the clock after capitalising on some poor handling by visiting ‘keeper, Bram Castro when the Heracles stopper failed to hold a Davy Klaassen strike from just outside the area, the home side – who squeezed past Polish champions, Legia Warsaw to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening, found themselves pegged back just two minutes later when Samuel Armenteros headed home a Wout Droste cross from the right with 25 minutes gone.

However, any hopes John Stegeman’s men might have harboured of taking home an unlikely point from their trip to Amsterdam were dispelled in the space of four second half minutes – 17-year-old, Matthijs de Ligt restoring the home side’s advantage – heading home his first goal for the first team eleven minutes after the break following a Hakim Ziyech corner from the left before Colombian centre half, Davinson Sanchez made it three on the hour mark with a long range daisy-cutter.

With the home side in complete control and Ajax coach, Peter Bosz having handed recent big-money signing, David Neres his bow for the hosts eighteen minutes from time, Chelsea loanee, Bertrand Traore eventually added a fourth for the Lancers – star man, Ziyech capping off a fine individual performance by serving up a perfect ball for the Burkina Faso international to beat Castro from close range the 90^th minute.

Having once more reduced the gap to bitter rivals, Feyenoord to five points and, with a potentially title-deciding showdown with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s league leaders to come at the start of April, Peter Bosz’s title hopefuls will know, having seen reigning back-to-back champions, PSV Eindhoven fall by the wayside, that they cannot afford to let up in their relentless pursuit of the Rotterdam giants if they hope to secure a 34^th league title in May.

Results: Week 24

ADO Den Haag 1-1 FC Twente

FC Groningen 2-3 FC Utrecht

Excelsior 0-2 Willem II

NEC Nijmegen 0-1 Sparta Rotterdam

SC Heerenveen 3-0 Roda JC

Go Ahead Eagles 1-3 Vitesse Arnhem

AZ Alkmaar 1-1 PEC Zwolle

Feyenoord 2-1 PSV Eindhoven

AFC Ajax 4-1 Heracles

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The twenty third round of Eredivisie action got underway on Friday evening at the Parkstad Limburg Stadion where hosts Roda JC picked up just their third win of what has been a tumultuous campaign thus far at the expense of fellow strugglers, Go Ahead Eagles.

However, the result hardly reflected the game with the away side- who arrived in Kerkrade for this relegation six-pointer on the back of two straight victories and two points ahead of their hosts in the standings, squandering a host of chances during a goalless first half.

Following the interval it was more of the same – Brighton loanee, Elvis Manu seeing his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Ard van Peppen two minutes into the second half, as the away side pressed for a third win in as many games – looking to put daylight between themselves and the bottom three for the first time since early October.

Hans de Koning’s side should have taken the lead just short of the hour mark through last week’s two-goal hero, Sam Hendriks, but the 22-year-old somehow contrived to fluff his lines despite being mere inches from the line with an unguarded goal at his mercy after a penetrating run by Arsenal loanee, Daniel Crowley down the left had put the chance on a plate for the former Ajax forward.

Hendriks’ remarkable miss proved to be the turning point of the game as ten minutes later a Mitchel Paulissen free kick from the left was met sweetly on the volley by an unmarked Chris Kum who – having seen an earlier effort ruled out for offside, escaped the attentions of the visitor’s rear guard and rifled the ball past Theo Zwarthoed from close range to give the hosts an ultimately decisive advantage which lifted Yannis Anastasiou’s men over their visitors and out of the bottom three ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action got underway at De Grolsch Veste where hosts, FC Twente welcomed the news that their long term financial future had been secured by inflicting a fifth defeat in six matches on guests, Heerenveen.

Having already saved the club from bankruptcy thanks to an earlier loan of €17 million, Enschede council once more came to the rescue of the financially troubled club by voting on Thursday to lend the club an additional €8.4 million which, along with the earlier loan, will be repaid over the course of the next 30 years – allowing the club to begin to repay some of the sizeable debts they owe.

Following a goalless opening period, the hosts would receive another gift eight minutes after the restart when Manchester City loanee, Enes Unal was sent tumbling in the box by visiting ‘keeper, Erwin Mulder – leaving referee, Serdar Gozubuyuk to point to the spot. Despite replays later suggesting that there had been little contact on the Turkish marksman the decision stood and Polish international, Mateusz Klich made no mistake from the resultant spot kick – sending Mulder – who, given the ruling, had been lucky to remain on the field, the wrong way to put the home side into a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Elsewhere, things continue to look bleak for Excelsior after Mitchell van der Gaag’s undermanned side were hit for four in Almelo at the hands of Heracles.

The visitors arrived at the Polman Stadion on a wretched run of form that had seen the Rotterdam-based outfit take just six points from their last ten outings.

Having failed to win a game since mid-November, the visitor’s cause was hardly helped by the 34^th minute dismissal of Jurgen Mattheij – who received his marching orders from referee, Siemen Mulder after picking up his second booking in the space of seven minutes following a trip on Samuel Armenteros just outside the visitor’s area.

Having been reduced to ten men, the luckless visitor’s then had their misery compounded when Brandley Kuwas handed the hosts the lead eight minutes later – the 24-year-old converting from close range after the ball had cannoned back off Warner Hahn’s crossbar.

Things went from bad to worse for van der Gaag’s charges following the interval – Thomas Bruns converting a well-placed cut-back from Peter van Ooijen to double the host’s advantage just short of the hour mark.

Eight minutes later two became three as Mike te Wierik – having evaded the non-existent Excelsior marking, slammed the ball past Hahn from a narrow angle after being picked out by a well-weighted pass from goal-scorer, Bruns before a Kristoffer Peterson header completed the rout six minutes from time.

PSV Eindhoven kept their title hopes alive – making it six wins from six since the turn of the year by seeing off NEC Nijmegen at the Philips Stadion on Saturday evening.

After a fairly unremarkable opening 19 minutes, Steven Bergwijn cut inside from the right and was sent tumbling in the area under the attentions of Janio Bikel leaving referee, Jochem Kamphuis little choice but to point to the spot from which Chelsea loanee, Marco van Ginkel made no mistake – firing the ball past the despairing dive of visiting ‘keeper, Joris Delle.

However, Peter Hyballa’s side – who arrived in Eindhoven on the back of three straight defeats, were back on level terms on the half hour – Ali Messaoud slamming home a perfectly placed cross from Andre Fomitschow from just inside the area.

Despite the setback, Phillip Cocu’s men would retake the lead ten minutes after the break through a scrambled effort from Bart Ramselaar who forced the ball home at the second time of asking after initially being denied by a combination of Delle and Michael Heinloth.

After Hector Moreno had rattled Delle’s crossbar deep into added time, the home side did eventually add a third – Luuk de Jong tucking away a pinpoint Santiago Arias cross from the right in the 94^th minute.

Saturday’s Eredivisie action was concluded at the Stadion Galgenwaard where hosts, FC Utrecht ended PEC Zwolle’s recent revival.

Ron Jans’ side came into this encounter having put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three after posting three wins from their last four outings but were second best here – the home side capping a dominant first half display by taking the lead through the unlucky Bram van Polen, who in an effort to ward off the attentions of Gyrano Kerk, unwittingly put the ball past his own keeper to hand the hosts the advantage a minute before the break.

Kerk’s inclusion by coach, Erik ten Hag – who omitted Ajax loanee, Richairo Zivkovic to accommodate the 21-year-old in the starting eleven, was justified four minutes after the resumption when, having been denied a goal a minute before the half time interval, the young forward stabbed home a Sean Klaiber cross from close range to double the host’s advantage.

Nacer Barazite had also been surprisingly omitted from the starting line-up named by ten Hag ahead of this encounter, but the former Arsenal man sent a message to his coach by coming off the bench and adding the home side’s third of the evening ten minutes from time.

Despite having been comprehensively out-played in all departments, Ron Jans’ side did eventually get on the scoresheet – Birmingham City loanee, Nicolai Brock-Madsen capping off the visitor’s only real attack of note by looping the ball over the despairing dive of home keeper, David Jensen four minutes from time.

Sunday’s Eredivisie action got underway in Tilburg where a sluggish AZ Alkmaar were surprisingly held by Willem II.

Despite seeing their chances of progression into the round of 16 of this season’s UEFA Europa League effectively come to an end after being hit for four at home to Lyon on Thursday evening, John van den Brom’s men looked to have secured all three points at the Koning Willem II Stadion when Derrick Luckassen put the visitors into the ascendancy with nineteen minutes to play – the centre half heading home an Iliass Bel Hassani corner from close range in the 71^st minute.

However, the exertions of Thursday evening’s tie eventually told. With the visitor’s concentration lapsing, Erik Falkenberg salvaged a valuable point for Erwin van de Looi’s men – the 28-year-old beating Tim Krul to Waford loanee, Obbi Oulare’s flick-on two minutes into added time.

Elsewhere, the Netherlands’ only other representative left in continental competition this season – Ajax, kept up the pressure on league leaders, Feyenoord by temporarily closing the gap at the top of the table to just two points by virtue of a narrow win in Arnhem.

Having been held controversially scoreless in Warsaw in the 1^st leg of their round of 32 UEFA Europa League tie against Legia on Thursday evening, Peter Bosz’s men wasted little time asserting their authority over a Vitesse Arnhem side who came into their second home fixture on the bounce on the back of a surprise reversal at the hands of Willem II and it was the man whose goal was controversially ruled out in Poland due to a lack of goal-line technology – Ajax skipper, Davy Klaassen, whose 26^th minute strike ultimately secured all three points for the visitors.

Klaassen’s goal stood despite the vehement protestations of the hosts who believed that Hakim Ziyech had brought down Milot Rashica at the other end of the field just seconds before Amin Younes teed up his skipper to put the title-chasing visitors into the ascendency.

The visitors almost doubled their advantage in the strangest of ways when a miss-hit cross from centre half, Nick Viergever rattled Eloy Room’s crossbar just past the half hour mark.

Having waved away the home side’s appeals for a penalty five minutes into the second period when Ajax’s Colombian centre half,  Davinson Sanchez sent Ricky van Wolfswinkel tumbling in the visitor’s area, referee, Kevin Blom then further drew the ire of the home supporters by awarding a spot kick at the other end after substitute, Navarone Foor pulled back Ziyech in the host’s area following a quick free kick by Lasse Schone with fourteen minutes to play. Yet Klaassen failed to double the visitor’s advantage – the Dutch international seeing his spot-kick beaten away by Room to leave the result in doubt until the very end.

Despite having a cup semi-final to look forward to at the start of March, a run of ten Eredivisie games without a win had seen Sparta Rotterdam slide into the bottom three prior to the host’s encounter with Groningen on Sunday afternoon.

Things hadn’t been much better for their visitors, who, following a mid-season revival which had seen them climb away from the wrong end of the table, Ernest Faber’s men arrived at Het Kasteel winless in their last four outings and seemed set to extend that unwanted run when Paco van Moorsel put Alex Pastoor’s strugglers into an eighth minute lead – the 27-year-old beating visiting ‘keeper, Sergio Padt from close range following a goal-mouth scramble before Ivan Calero doubled the host’s advantage nine minutes later.

However, a much needed first league win since early November ultimately proved elusive for Pastoor’s men who allowed their guests back into the contest just four minutes later – Ruben Jenssen slamming the ball past Roy Kortsmit after the Sparta ‘keeper had initially denied a suspiciously offside looking Simon Tibbling.

Remarkably, the two sides would go in at the break on level terms – Mimoun Mahi lashing in his tenth of the season via Kortsmit’s right hand upright from the edge of the area a minute before the break.

Even with the visitors reduced to ten men following the 52^nd minute dismissal of Juninho Bacuna – who, having been dismissed during last weekend’s defeat at the hands of league leaders, Feyenoord, received his marching orders for the second game in succession from referee, Allard Lindhout following a reckless two-footed lunge on Mart Dijkstra, Pastoor’s men failed to turn their numerical advantage into three points but – by virtue of the draw, did edge out of the bottom three at the expense of Go Ahead Eagles.

The twenty third round of Eredivisie action was concluded in The Hague where league leaders Feyenoord restored their five point cushion at the top of the standings after squeezing past rock-bottom, ADO Den Haag at the Kyocera Stadion.

Having ushered in the Alfons Groenendijk era in inauspicious fashion – suffering a comprehensive defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers, Go Ahead Eagles last time out – a reversal which had seen ADO slide to the bottom of the pile in the Dutch top flight as a result, the hosts looked far more resolute here – keeping the free-scoring league leaders scoreless during a largely uneventful opening period.

However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side – whose only league defeat this season came at the hands of the lowly Deventer-based outfit at the start of November and who have yet to drop a single point since the turn of the year, maintained their 100% start to 2017 in the league thanks to a solitary strike by Karim El Ahmadi just after the hour mark – the Moroccan latching onto Miquel Nelom’s deflected cross from the left before crashing the ball past ADO’s back-up ‘keeper, Robert Zwinkels from just outside the box to keep the Rotterdam giants on course for a first Eredivisie title since 1999.

Having set up what would ultimately prove to be the only goal of a tight affair, Nelom then appeared to get away with what looked to be a clear clip on the heels of ex-Feyenoord man , Ruben Schaken with just over a quarter of an hour left to play.

However, despite substitute, Mike Havenaar testing the reflexes of Feyenoord’s Australian ‘keeper, Brad Jones on a couple of occasions in the closing stages, the visitors held on to restore their five point advantage over nearest challenger’s, Ajax ahead of entertaining third placed, PSV Eindhoven – who themselves sit a further three points adrift in the standings, in what will prove to be a real test of both side’s title credentials next Sunday afternoon at De Kuip in the stand-out fixture of round 24.

Results: Week 23

Roda JC 1-0 Go Ahead Eagles

FC Twente 1-0 SC Heerenveen

Heracles 4-0 Excelsior

PSV Eindhoven 3-1 NEC Nijmegen

FC Utrecht 3-1 PEC Zwolle

Willem II 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

Vitesse Arnhem 0-1 AFC Ajax

Sparta Rotterdam 2-2 FC Groningen

ADO Den Haag 0-1 Feyenoord

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