With four matches left to play, leader Goes wants to maintain or expand the six-point gap with the closest pursuers. “If you win on Sunday, it seems to me that the season is as good as finished,” coach Dennis de Nooijer describes the importance of the match against Venray.
For a moment it seemed that Goes was freewheeling on its way to the championship in the fourth division. The gap with competitors Achilles Veen and Dongen was nine points. A draw against Wittenhorst (2-2) and a defeat against Udi’19 (3-2) ensured that the difference shrank to six points. Goes’ goal difference is unsurmountable for the competition.
Don’t panic
Trainer Dennis de Nooijer does not think that much has changed for his team. “The gap was five or seven points for a long time. The pressure has not become greater or different now.” However, the coach believes that there is a need to win. “I’m not saying we panic if we lose, but then the difference is only three points. We don’t want that.”
Last Tuesday, Goes practiced against third division team Kloetinge (2-2). “We didn’t have a good feeling about the match against UDI’19. It was a mediocre display, while we can be so good with the ball. I wanted to get this feeling back. Against Kloetinge we were very good with the ball and created many chances.”
The Goesen team will meet an in-form team on Sunday. Venray is the leader in the third period after six matches (Goes is third). “They have to and we have to. That makes the match more fun. This could be beneficial for us as they battle for their last chance at play-offs.”
De Nooijer warned his players in advance. “They are in a flow. They are a team that works for each other and they have one of the best strikers – if not the best – in the league. Earlier this season they pushed forward. They don’t do this anymore. They collapse and wait for an opponent to make a mistake.”
Several Goes players are irritated by this approach to the game. “They will have to throw that away quickly,” says De Nooijer. “Winning matches sometimes requires other qualities than just good football. They (Venray, ed) do this very well in their own way.”
Earlier this season, Goes lost to the team from Limburg. “We had an off day. That match is almost impossible to compare to now. We played with a completely different team. We missed a lot of chances and they scored.” The game ended 4-3.
Mitchell de Nooijer will not be there on Sunday. The defender most likely has a tear in his ankle ligament. He tried to train on Thursday, but that did not have the desired effect. Wiebe Provoost is also absent. He is having trouble with the tendon under his knee.
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Tags: Leader meets team shape pressure greater Amateur football
