Netherlands round-up: Ajax keep hopes alive
Sunday, April 13, 2003
Article summary
AFC Ajax's 3-0 win at NAC Breda took them back to within eight points of leaders PSV Eindhoven.
Article body
AFC Ajax have not given up on defending their Dutch Eredivisie title after a 3-0 win at NAC Breda took them back to within of eight points leaders PSV Eindhoven with seven games to go.
Van der Meyde double
PSV had beaten Roda JC 3-2 on Friday to further extend their lead, but Ajax comfortably won Sunday' s match, although they had to wait until two minutes before half-time until Wesley Sneijder put them ahead. Andy van der Meyde scored on 75 and 84 minutes to confirm the victory for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists.
Another Feyenoord win
Feyenoord, who take on Ajax in the Dutch Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, are still within a point of the Amsterdam side after a dramatic 2-1 win against struggling SBV Vitesse. Robin van Persie gave Feyenoord an 19th-minuite lead only for Bob Peeters to equalise four minutes later. However, Anthony Lurling came off the bench to score the winner in added time, clinching an eighth straight win for Feyenoord.
Waalwijk setback
RKC Waalwijk remain in line for a UEFA Cup place in fourth, but dropped three points at home in a 2-1 defeat by RBC Roosendaal. Geert den Ouden gave the visitors a 14th-minute advantage, and while Rick Hoogendorp was able to level the scores with a penalty on the stroke of half-time, Waalwijk had no answer to a Henk Vos spot kick 22 minutes from the end. Both sides had a player sent off, Peter van den Berg for Waalwijk and Vos.
NEC move up
Waalwijk's defeat NEC Nijmegen to move within a point of the top four with a 3-2 win at SC Heerenveen, taking them above Roda. AZ Alkmaar lost ground, however, as they took the lead against FC Zwolle, only to see their opponents - reduced to ten men - come back to draw 1-1. Utrecht, who take on PSV in the other Dutch Cup semi-final on Tuesday, had already dropped two points against Utrecht in Friday's 1-1 draw with Willem II.
Strugglers beaten
Elsewhere, bottom side De Graafschap lost 3-0 at FC Twente, while SC Excelsior, only two points ahead of the basement club, were defeated for the eighth consecutive match, beaten 1-0 at FC Groningen.
