FOOTBALL – FC Groningen has come one step closer to the big goal (direct promotion). The team of coach Dick Lukkien did not even have to give everything. FC Emmen played for Sinterklaas on Easter Monday: 0-3.
Due to the defeat, Emmen drops two places, to place 11. Cambuur and VVV passed over FC Emmen without playing. The three clubs all have 45 points from 32 matches, but both Cambuur and VVV have a better goal difference.
All Groningen goals resulted from personal mistakes by Emmen, which, in contrast to the won match against Jong Ajax last Friday, started with a significantly changed line-up. Fred Grim not only chose a number of different players, but also a different tactic. The Amsterdammer started with a 5-4-1 formation, with the man of the power against Jong Ajax – Maarten Pouwels – at the point of attack.
Furthermore, Jeff Hardeveld returned as left back and Ben Scholte was also given a starting spot, shortly behind Pouwels. Michaël Heylen, Lorenzo Burnet and Desley Ubbink, who made a good impression on Friday, started on the bench. Vicente Besuijen also had to take a seat next to Fred Grim.
Despite the new tactics, Emmen did get the first chances. Bradly van Hoeven saw a shot blocked and from the awarded corner, Lucas Bernadou shot straight into the hands of Hidde Jurjus.
A corner easily given away by Hardeveld led to the unexpected 0-1. It was Thom van Bergen who actually had to duck to score in the thirteenth minute. At that moment, Grim had already made his first substitution. Robin Schouten had to be replaced by Patrick Brouwer due to an injury. Barely five minutes after the opening goal the score became 0-2. From a lightning-fast counter, in which Hardeveld (but not only him) was completely out of position, Leandro Bacuna shot beautifully.
The Drenthe club had to recover from those taps on the chin, but recovered during the first half. FC Groningen limited itself to defending and Emmen appeared a few times threateningly in the sixteen of the visitors, who were fortunate that Marvin Peersman was not punished with red, but with yellow for a foul on the best Emmen resident before half time: Bradly van Hooves.
In the 39th minute, Emmen had the chance to get back into the match, but Pouwels was unable to get a free heading opportunity from an assist from Van Hoeven behind Jurjus.
With Desley Ubbink for Scholte, Emmen hoped to do after the break what it did in the past two matches, namely turn the game around. That didn’t work, because Pouwels missed a great opportunity and was effective again moments later (in minute 62). Romano Postema scored his 17th goal of the season, after another dramatic defense from FC Emmen, although Luciano Valente’s deep pass was tailor-made: 0-3.
At that moment, Piotr Parzyszek and Joey Konings were ready for a substitute, but that only became interesting for the statistics because the game was played after that third goal.
