FOOTBALL – If the key to the play-offs is handed to you so often, and especially so close to the end of the competition, then you shouldn’t lose it again. With that message, the players of FC Emmen took the field against Helmond Sport tonight. With success, because the Drenthe club won 3-0.
With this victory, FC Emmen has the key to the play-offs back in its own hands. Two victories (in the last two matches against FC Den Bosch and De Graafschap) are enough for Alfons Arts’ men. Emmen has one point more than MVV, which dropped five points in the last two matches.
Alfons Arts had to shift his basic formation just before the game. Julius Dirksen, like Lorenzo Burnet, turned out to be ill and so Michaël Heylen started next to Dennis Vos at the center back. Furthermore, the interim coach had previously decided that Ben Scholte would start as an attacking midfielder and not, as at Telstar, Desley Ubbink. At the front, the fit Bradly van Hoeven was given a starting place again and that was at the expense of Joey Konings.
After a somewhat nervous initial phase, the home team quickly took the lead. Van Hoeven was lightly tapped on the back line by Bram van Vlerken, after which referee Nagtegaal pointed decisively to the spot. Club top scorer Piotr Parzyszek took his responsibility and shot flawlessly. It was goal number 8 of the season for the Polish striker and his first goal since early February against FC Eindhoven. In that match, Parzyszek missed a penalty.
Eric Oelschlägel performed his best act of the evening barely a minute after that goal by superbly converting an open chance from Anthony van den Hurk. As it turned out, it was actually the only time that Helmond Sport really became dangerous. Remarkable, because Helmond Sport also fought for the last chance for the play-offs.
Emmen certainly did not play well after the goal, but did have a few excellent chances to lift the score to 2-0, led by the tireless and strong-playing Lucas Bernadou. The midfielder beautifully placed Vicente Besuijen alone in front of goalkeeper Wouter van der Steen, but the fast attacker tapped wide. Bradly van Hoeven could have scored before that, but his shot – after a moderate build-up by Helmond Sport and good pressure from Jorrit Smeets – went a meter wide. Smeets had come on early on for Ben Scholte, who had to be left injured.
The margin remained only one goal until half time and so the tension remained palpable at De Oude Meerdijk. It was only twenty minutes before the end that the opposing score was 2-0. It was Patrick Brouwer, who came on cold, who pushed Jeff Hardenveld’s cross against the ropes. The relief was great and Helmond Sport’s defense was broken. Vicente Besuijen’s 3-0 completely closed the game.
After that it was mainly hoping for an encore, preferably from substitute Jorn Hekkert. The young talent, who came over from the Go Ahead Eagles youth academy in the summer, was given about five minutes of playing time by Arts. Just before the end, he was almost served by another substitute – Joey Konings – but the ball hit Brouwer’s head and he proved not to be a heading specialist. That left the score at 3-0, but no one cared about that at all. The key to the play-offs is again in Emmen. And now store it in the safe…
