Utrecht 2-1 Roda
Den Haag 2-3 Sparta
Feyenoord 1-0 VVV Venlo
Vitesse 0-2 Heracles
NAC 1-0 Waalwijk
AZ 2-4 Ajax
Twente 4-0 Groningen
Willem II 4-1 Heerenveen
NEC 0-4 PSV
All of the top five won as 31 goals went in around the Netherlands over the weekend. In terms of goals, the clash between AZ and Ajax was top with six being shared unequally in favour of the Amsterdammers. That signals the end of AZ's title challenge, even at this still early stage. They're fourteen points off the top already and with the uncertainty over the ownership, January could see an exodus of players. And yet they did go in front half way through the first half, Brett Holman taking down a long ball and crossing for Mounir El Hamdaoui who swept it past Marten Stekelenberg. After the break, Ajax came out firing and a blistering spell saw them stick three away within twenty of the retstart. A quick free-kick caught out the champions for the first, Urby Emanuelson launching it past Sergio Romero from fully forty yards. A minute later, the irrepressible Luis Suarez got his customary goal, expertly taking down Dennis Rommedahl's cross and showing nifty footwork to score. Gregory van der Wiel got their third, exchanging passes with Demy de Zeeuw en route to goal, and Suarez got a second in the last minute, van der Wiel turning provider. Graziano Pelle's overhead kick in stoppage time couldn't hide the beating his side had taken.
Twente still lead from PSV by two and both were 4-0 winners. Twente were already two up on Groningen before keeper Brian van Loo was sent off, a slight deflection aiding Miroslav Stoch's 25-yarder in the fifth minute and Dwight Tiendalli smashing one in on the counter from over 30 yards. Van Loo was bang to rights on the hour, doing a Toni Schumacher on Blaise N'Kufo, but the big Swiss striker picked himself up and smacked the penalty past sub keeper Luciano - top corner, you don't save those. Ten minutes from time, the brilliant Bryan Ruiz, who had been superb all afternoon, added a fourth, swooping on Tiendalli's mis-kick and holding off four defenders to turn, shoot and score. The official time for PSV's opener was 18 seconds, Balazs Dzsudzsak sliding in at the back post, and it was downhill from there for NEC. Jonathan Reis got the second, quickest to latch on to Danko Lazovic's air shot, Otman Bakkal had a tap-in four minutes after the break as Gabor Babos failed to hold Orlando Engelaar's long-range shot and Lazovic made it four from the penalty spot after a clumsy foul. Feyenoord only needed one goal to see off VVV Venlo, Denny Landzaat tapping in after Kevin Begois spilled a cross at his feet, and Utrecht won by the odd goal in three on Friday night. Bram Castro was in brilliant form in Roda's goal and pulled off save after save through the first half. Eventually, pressure told when Jacob Mulenga finally beat the inspired keeper two minutes from half-time. Castro was out of position having made two stops, but his defence couldn't clear and the ball was played square across to Mulenga who finally beat the Belgian stopper. He was unlucky again when Utrecht doubled their lead. Ricky van Wolfswinkel beat Castro, but hit the post. The ball came back to the striker and, with Castro off balance, slammed it in the opposite corner. Willem Janssen got one back in stopage time, showing great strength down on the bye-line to shrug off the defence and slot the ball home.
Waalwijk lost again and finished with ten men. Their defence is really, really terrible and it was basic failings that allowed Anthony Lurling to score after half an hour and the only surprise was that NAC didn't add to the lead. Gijs Luirink was sent off late on to compound the misery. They look down already. Heerenveen remain deep in trouble after a hammering from Willem II. After a goalless first half, Willem II opened up after the break and were in front three minutes after the restart through Sergio Zijler who took on half the Heerenveen defence before smacking it across goal and inside the far post. The floodgates opened. Caught in possession in midfield, Heerenveen backed away and the shot wasn't held and fell to Said Boutahar who made no mistake. A towering header from Michal Papadopoulos pulled one back, but the lead was back to two five minutes later, another shot not held and fell to Frank Demouge who buried it from 20 yards. Demouge made it four in the last minute as Heerenveen were opened up like a particularly compliant walnut.
Heracles move up to sixth with a win while Vitesse are still very hit and miss. Willy Overtoom put the Almelo side in front on the stroke of half-time, sliding in to meet a cross from the right. Sebastien Scheur sealed the win twelve from time with an excellent angled header. Erik Falkenburg's hat-trick won it for upwardly mobile Sparta against Den Haag who pegged the Rotterdammers back twice. Falkenburg's first came on eight minutes with a 20-yard piledriver. Danny Buijs equalised, slotting home off a n eat lay-off, but Falkenburg put his side back in front with a half-volley from 12 yards. It would be level at the break when Charlton Vincento was first to a bouncing ball in the Sparta box, but Falkenburg popped up in the last minute to win it. The Den Haag keeper's poor clearance was almost put in from near half way, but the keeper palmed it straight to Falkenburg who tapped in at the back post.
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