Five matches were scheduled for Monday evening in the Kitchen Champion Division, and not the least. Number two Roda JC came into action, ADO Den Haag played the difficult away match at VVV-Venlo and number four De Graafschap also had to play.
Roda JC 3-0 FC Eindhoven
The match that was canceled on January 12 due to frost on the field turned out to be a prey for number two Roda. The Limburgers had few problems with FC Eindhoven, which started the match as number ten in the Kitchen Champion Division. The goals were scored by Matisse Didden, Enrique Peña Zauner and Walid Ould-Chikh.
Roda started the match against Eindhoven energetically. Central defender Didden reached a free ball before Eindhoven goalkeeper Jorn Brondeel and headed home. Ten minutes later, Peña Zauner made it 2-0 with a nice individual action. Roda was on a roll and before half time it was 3-0. Ould-Chikh took advantage of a huge mistake in the build-up at Eindhoven and shot in from close range.
After the break, Roda took it a bit easier and Eindhoven proved unable to turn it into a real match. Although it still had a number of chances. The biggest one was for Evan Rottier, but he couldn’t get the ball on goal from close range. Roda is doing very well in the rankings and is starting to approach Willem II. The difference with the leader is only six points. Eindhoven drops to a disappointing twelfth place.
VVV-Venlo 2-1 ADO The Hague
The match was canceled on Friday due to snow on the field in De Koel. Free of ice and snow, the home team ultimately won.
However, ADO seemed to start the match optimally. After just eight minutes, that team was awarded a penalty. The normally cool Henk Veerman stood behind the ball, but he shot hopelessly over. Elias Sierra was accurate nine minutes later and put the home team at 1-0. VVV could not enjoy the lead for long, because just three minutes after VVV’s opening goal, Bonaire international Jort van der Sande made it 1-1.
Just before half time, VVV took the lead. Rick Ketting was able to head after a free kick and outwitted ADO goalie Nick Marsman; 2-1.
In the second half, ADO could no longer make a fist offensively and therefore had to return to The Hague without any points. It sees Roda moving ahead in the rankings. ADO remains third and is three points behind the Kerkraarders. VVV is now number nine in the Kitchen Champion Division.
Jong AZ 5-1 FC Dordrecht
Few people would have predicted that Jong AZ had a chance against FC Dordrecht. Dordt was in great form and was in a respectable fourth place at the start of the match. Still, Jong AZ turned it into a gala performance. Ernest Poku was the big man with three goals. Furthermore, Mexx Meerdink and Ruben van Bommel – normally part of the first team at AZ – were responsible for the Alkmaar goals. Shilof Zand saved the honor for Dordrecht, but that team has both feet on the ground again.
After the big loss in Alkmaar, Dordrecht is now fifth. Jong AZ ends up in eleventh place.
De Graafschap 4-2 Jong PSV
In Doetinchem, a number of boxes were empty by order of the KNVB. This was because the hard core of De Graafschap had set off fireworks during an atmospheric campaign earlier this season. Without the fanatical supporters, De Graafschap still played very well. Xandro Schenk quickly made it 1-0. Tristan Van Gilst was also able to make it 2-0 after fifteen minutes.
Young PSV – where Isaac Babadi was in the starting line-up – came back into the match through Tai Abed. Still, the game was decided in favor of De Graafschap. Van Gilst was able to score his second and seemed to decide the game. Jong PSV, however, made it very exciting. Babadi peered over the ball, but it suddenly ended up at the feet of Dantaye Gilbert.
Mimoun Mahi put an end to all doubts by shooting the 4-2 against the ropes in injury time. That was it, causing De Superboeren to move to fourth place in the rankings. Young PSV is in sixteenth place.
Jong Ajax 0-1 FC Groningen
There was a decent Jong Ajax team at Sportpark De Toekomst. Anass Salah-Eddine, Kian Fitz-Jim, Anton Gaaei and Silvano Vos all took part. Yet the promises in Amsterdam were unable to beat Groningen. The visitors – who did not play against FC Emmen on Friday because the Norovirus was in the selection – only needed one goal. Thom Van Bergen punished a huge mistake in the build-up and scored the three points on behalf of the Groningen team.
FC Groningen is climbing considerably after the much-needed win and now occupies sixth place. Young Ajax has to make do with fifteenth place.
