Heracles 1-1 Utrecht
Ajax 1-0 Twente
Den Haag 3-1 Vitesse
Groningen 1-0 NAC
AZ 3-1 Heerenveen
De Graafschap 2-2 Volendam
NEC 1-1 Sparta
Willem II 0-3 PSV
Feyenoord 2-3 Roda
After a couple of weeks where they had the cue in the rack, AZ actually turned up for a game this week and duly got back to doing what won them this title a few weeks ago. Heerenveen have been on a wobble for a while themselves and Louis van Gaal's men ensured that the presentation of the big dish was done in the best cicumstances, on the back of an accomplished win. Without suspended midfield duo Stijn Schaars and Gil Swerts, Demy De Zeeuw was the architect of a superb performance, a fitting end to an amazing season. Mounir El Hamdaoui's opener ensured he ended the season as top scorer and Moussa Dembele got two, taking him into double figures for the first time in his young career despite two months out with injury. Patrick Ingelsten got one back late on, firing past Joey Didulica who came off the bench to end the game in the AZ goal just a couple of weeks after taking a frightful whack in the head. If van Gaal stays, few would back against AZ making it a double, but Bayern are after him and a move is definitely on the cards.
The main issues to be resolved were down at the bottom and it's Volendam who go down. They were held at fellow flirters with relegation, De Graafschap, at De Vijverberg. The home side were ahead early in the second half through Stephan Keller, but Volendam edged in front with Gerson Sheotahul and Jack Tuyp netting within the space of four minutes. Tragi-comically, it was an own goal that levelled it up, Gerry Koning putting through his own net for the goal which sent his side down. A point would have been enough, but Roda saved themselves with a win over 9-man Feyenoord. The Rotterdammers finish seventh, in the Europa League play-offs, and they were two goals and one man down 21 minutes into this contest. Sekou Cissé opened the scoring before Dwight Tiendali was sent off for a professional foul and Marcel Meeuwis converted the resultant penalty. Roy Makaay had a disappointing season despite some late goals and he was on target twice, pulling it back to 2-1 from a tight angle and making it 3-2 from the penalty spot after Anouar Hadouir had restored Roda's two-goal lead. Any chance of a comeback was scuppered six minutes from the end when Kevin Hofland joined Tiendali back in the sheds. De Graafschap and Roda go into the relegation play-offs. That win could have seen Roda out of trouble altogether, but with Den Haag beating Vitesse, they have to settle for a play-off. Den Haag were in control from the off, Danny Buijs and Karim Soltani with early goals. Buijs made it 3-0 before Ricky van Wolfswinkel got one back with 20 to go.
Ajax finished with a win, Urby Emanuelson's expertly taken free-kick enough to see off Twente and the Amsterdammers will be joined in the Europa League by PSV, 3-0 winners over Willem II. Since Dwight Lodeweges took over in Eindhoven, PSV have gone much better and the form of January buy Ola Toivonen bodes well for next season. He got the first, the promising Balázs Dzsudzsák the second and Danny Koevermans lashed in a third to end their campaign on a high. The play-offs for the final Europa League spot will feature Heerenveen and Feyenoord as well as Groningen and Breda who faced each other this week. Andreas Granqvist put Groningen into the lead just before the break and that was enough, NAC ending with ten men after Ellery Cairo was sent off late on. NAC qualify for the play-offs because Utrecht could only manage a draw with Heracles and had to wait until second half stoppage time for Cedric van der Gun's equaliser after Mark Jan Fledderus put the Almelo side in front. Neither NEC or Sparta had much to play for and they fought out a 1-1 draw, Bas Sibum equalising Erik Falkenburg's opener just before the break. Mario Been leaves NEC now to take on the Feyenoord job. After getting NEC over-achieving, it's going to take someone special to take them on.
And that's your lot from the Eredivisie this season, with just the cup final to come where Twente will look to cap a great season against Heerenveen and those play-offs. VVV Venlo come back up with RKC Waalwijk and Cambur Leeurwarden joining De Graafschap and Roda in the hunt for the last two Eredivisie places for next season.
The Euroballs Eredivisie team of the season looks like this, in a 4-3-3 style:
Joey Didulica (AZ); Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Rob Wielaert (Ajax), Gil Swerts (AZ), Jan Vertonghen (Ajax) ; Demy de Zeeuw (AZ), Ibrahim Afellay (PSV), Kenneth Perez (Twente); Moussa Dembele (AZ), Mounir El Hamdaoui (AZ), Blaise N'Kufo (Twente).
Honourable mentions for Balázs Dzsudzsák, Ola Toivonen, Nordin Amrabat (all PSV), Luis Suarez (Ajax), Georgino Wijnaldum (Feyenoord), Danijel Pranjic (Heerenveen), Marko Arnautovic, Eljero Elia (both Twente).
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