Willem II 1-2 NAC
PSV 2-0 Den Haag
Heerenveen 2-0 Utrecht
Roda 2-1 Sparta
Heracles 4-3 Groningen
Feyenoord 1-2 AZ
Waalwijk 0-1 NEC
VVV Venlo 2-0 Vitesse
Ajax 3-0 Twente
One of the seemingly invincible duo finally lost. 22 games into the season, Twente finally lost and at the same place as their last league defeat, the Amsterdam ArenA. They weren't good and Ajax, having refound their touch in midweek, took full advantage. Demy de Zeeuw's sixth goal of the season - that's a lot for him - gave Ajax the lead and Marko Pantelic stole in for the second just before the break. Theo Janssen had a particularly miserable evening for the Tukkers and was horribly exposed for the third, robbed of possession deep in defence by Luis Suarez - inevitably, the Uruguayan was at the hub of everything - who found Pantelic who teed up Dennis Rommedahl for an emphatic finish. Twente were poor and as close as they got was Kenneth Perez's late free-kick that came crashing back off the post - the only time Maarten Stekelenburg had been beaten. That left PSV clear at the top once again after their unbeaten run rolls onwards, ever onwards. Rodriguez Francisco and a clever Ola Toivonen chip eased them past Den Haag without needing to get out of second gear. PSV might be too far away for Ajax to catch, but they've a real chance of catching Twente for the second Champions League spot now.
Game of the round came in Almelo where Heracles came from 3-1 down to win. Thomas Enevoldsen gave Groningen a 2-0 lead by half-time and the two-goal lead was restored by Morten Nordstrand after Bas Dost had pulled one back. The game turned with two red cards in four minutes. Gibril Sankoh saw red for an ugly lunge on Everton and Leandro Bacuna followed him moments later after his second booking. Playing against nine, Heracles cut loose. Dost hit a second and Willy Overtoom equalised with quarter of an hour left and Birger Maertens won a dramatic game in the last minute. AZ eased the gloom around the Almaarderhout with a win over Feyenoord. Mounir El Hamdaoui put the champions - resplendent in their newly sponsored kit - in front, but Pontus Wernbloom's first goal in the Netherlands levelled it as, unfortunately, it was at the wrong end. Hector Moreno won it with a coupl eof minutes left.
Utrecht's European hopes took a knock as Gerland Sibon struck twice for Heerenveen, but NAC's claims were strengthened with a come-from-behind win over troubled Willem II. Mitchell Donald put the Tilburg side in front, but Edwin de Graaf equalised just before the break and Matthew Amoah won it ten minutes into the second half.
Roda beat Sparta with Willem Janssen put them in front on the half hour and Mads Junker made it safe, safe enough for Erik Falkenburg's late goal to mean precious little in the grander scheme of things. VVV Venlo were helped on their way to three more points thanks to Civard Sprockel's early own goal and Patrick Paauwe's second in a week made the game safe in the dying moments. Waalwijk and NEC looked headed for a goalless draw, but Bas Sibum won it in the last minute for the Nijmegeners to pull them away from immediate danger.
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