Sparta 0-1 Willem II
Heerenveen 2-1 Groningen
De Graafschap 1-0 Heracles
Den Haag 1-1 Ajax
Volendam 1-0 Vitesse
NAC 1-2 Feyenoord
Roda 0-0 Utrecht
NEC 0-1 AZ
Twente 1-1 PSV
If there was little in the way of a challenge to AZ's premacy before this weekend, there's virtually nil now. Both Twente and Ajax drew, so AZ's gazillionth game without a defeat pulled them eleven points clear at the top. With just eight games remaining, they'll have to implode spectacularly for anyone else to have a chance. They were far from their best in beating NEC 1-0 this weekend, defender Kew Jaliens heading home Demy de Zeeuw's fine cross for the decisive goal. They're without first choice keeper Sergio Romero for the foreseeable, not that it matters a great deal. So irked was Romero by conceding one goal last week that he punched a wall and broke his hand. Goalkeepers being nutters is supposed to be a stereotype, but it's incidents like this that keep the notion alive and well. NEC just couldn't convert chances with Bas Sibum and Dennis Rommedahl among those that probably ought to have done better. Instead, AZ continue their cruise to the title.
The extra breathing space was gifted to them by draws for Twente and Ajax. The Amsterdammers' fans were banned from ADO's compact Zuiderpark making for an odd atmosphere. The fayre on the field didn't exactly inspire anyone to start making some noise. Ajax were poor without the suspended Luis Suarez, although Evander Sno's attempts in getting himself sent off - Marco van Basten withdrew him before it could happen - were mildly diverting. Rob Wielaert got his first goal for Ajax since joining from Twente with a deflected volley, a move which ADO boss André Wetzel responded to by bringing on Wesley Verhoek and the substitute exchanged passes with Richard Knopper before volleying home to square it up. A draw was about fair in the end. Twente needed a late, late, late equaliser to snatch a draw at home to PSV. Balázs Dzsudzsák had put the Eindhoveners ahead after Ibrahim Afellay had taken a quick free-kick with the Twente players still whining at the referee. As the board went up to indicate three minutes of stoppage time, it looked like PSV would take all three points, but four minutes later, Andreas Isaaksson spilled Marko Arnautovic's shot at the feet of Blaise N'Kufo and the veteran Swiss fired home.
Both Ajax and Twente are in danger of being usurped by fast rising Heerenveen who are in terrfic form and playing some lovely football. A bad tempered Friesian derby at the Abe Lenstra saw Groningen lose two players to red cards, Martijn Meerdink the first to go on 25 minutes. It took Heerenveen 35 minutes to capitalise when Christian Grindheim fired in from 20 yards. Danny Holla got Groningen back on terms ten minutes later but then lost Gonzalo Garcia to a second yellow after kicking the ball away. From then on, it was a matter of time and Viktor Elm finally broke Groningen just as the 90 minutes were up. That leaves them just a point back from Ajax.
Tension down at the bottom was lifted when De Graafschap finally won a game, 1-0 at home to Heracles. Luuk de Jong's goal early in the second half was enough and piled on the pressure for Volendam's home game against Vitesse the following day. They responded magnificently with Jack Tuyp scoring in the first half and the entire team holding solid for the remaining hour. Volendam are still bottom by a point from De Graafschap, but they're both within sniffing distance of safety. Roda lie sixteenth, two points above De Graafschap and they drew 0-0 with Utrecht in a poor spectacle while Sparta were plunged back into trouble on Friday night as Willem II ended a six-game losing run thanks to George Mourad's late goal. Feyenoord have ended all talk of relegation by finally winning away from home, beating NAC 2-1 in Breda. They had to come from behind as Breda took the lead through Donny Gorter's penalty late in the first half, but second half goals from Georgino Wijnaldum and a late winner from Jon Dahl Tomasson sealed it for the Rotterdammers.
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