SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST 2014

FC UTRECHT 2 – 1 WILLEM II

Three second-half goals were shared as FC Utrecht overturned Willem II 2-1 in a poor game on Sunday reports Will Burns.

This game was hardly a barnburner but it displayed two sides looking to restart their season after tasting defeats last week. Due to on-loan keeper Kostas Lamprou’s sending off last weekend against PSV, Willem II boss Jurgen Streppel had to call upon David Meul to hold the goal and he did well early on. The hosts pressed from the kick-off and on 20 minutes, Yassine Ayoub used some of his trickery to skip past three defenders before playing in attacking midfielder Jens Toornstra, but the stand-in goalie Meul held strong and denied the midfielder.

The keeper’s gloves barely got a chance to cool down before he was called into action again. Mark van der Maarel produced a rare effort and Meul parried the ball wide. The bright spark for Willem II was speedy and skilful winger Terell Ondann, constantly causing trouble down the left wing giving Van der Maarel a torrid time. One thing seems for sure, whatever happens this season to the Tilburg side, Ondann must surely be off to a bigger club in the summer, if not January.

The first-half ended goal-less and Utrecht finally found the net just after the hour mark through ‘Mr. Dependable’ Jens Toornstra. After Van der Maarel surged down the right, the defender whipped a vicious ball into the area and all the Utrecht strikers took swipes but missed the ball. Waiting unmarked at the far post was Toornstra, who perfectly placed the ball out of Meul’s reach. This may be the last goal he scores for Utrecht as the rumours are heating up that the midfielder could be on his way to Feyenoord.

From the restart, Willem II were fired up and searched for an equaliser, although they had to wait until 15 minutes before the end to find it. The lively Ondann collected a cross from Charlton Vicento and drove an effort at goal. Utrecht stopper Robbin Ruiter could only parry into Robbie Haemhouts’ path to finish into the empty goal.

Willem II did not settle for a point and went for the game, but attacking became their downfall as Utrecht scored late on to clinch the victory. Willem II failed to clear a Toornstra corner and while Willem II rushed out of the box, Ayoub found Toornstra on the left. The midfielder hit a first time low cross back into the centre and Leon de Kogel got in front of debutant Frank van der Struijk to slide the ball home past Meul.

A crushing blow for the Tilburgers, who in both games against PSV last week and Utrecht this, have shown signs of a good side. Rob Alflen and Utrecht needed this win to get their season underway after a poor campaign last under Jan Wouters.

TEAMS

UTRECHT: Ruiter, Van der Maarel, Leeuwin, Heerings, Kum, Toornstra, Kali, Ayoub, Janssen (De Kogel 80), Rubin, Barazite (Antwi 69).

SUBS NOT USED: Verhoeven, Diemers, Sarota, Cortie, Hardeveld.

GOALS: Toornstra 64, De Kogel 88.

BOOKINGS: Ayoub 22.

WILLEM II: Meul, Cornelisse, D. Wuytens, Peters, Heymans, Haemhouts, Messaoud, S. Wuytens, Ondaan, Andrade (Vicento 72), Sahar (Van der Struijk 81).

SUBS NOT USED: Branderhorst, Heerkens, Sporkslede, Ippel, Vossebelt.

GOALS: Haemhouts 76.

BOOKINGS: Cornelisse 45.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jens Toornstra (FC Utrecht)

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