No team likes to go to Finsterwolde. You know that you will at least have to show fight and fighting spirit to keep BNC at bay. But to the surprise of the visitors from Heiligerlee and the great annoyance of BNC coach Loek Swarts, the home team did not give up.
“Unbelievable.” The steam just didn’t come out of Swarts’ ears after the 2-1 defeat. “In terms of attitude, it was nothing at all. This shouldn’t continue like this, then I’ll be done with it soon.” During half-time, the coach had already spoken firmly to his team. After just ten minutes, Swarts sent his team outside again to wait for the start of the second half.
Swarts’ thunderous sermon seemed to have had an effect. Because after less than a minute of play in the second half, Pepijn Kroeze scored the equalizer, assisted by Rogier Ganzeveld. In the final minute of the first half it was Gert Reininga who gave the visitors the lead.
Other than that, very little happened in the opening half. Although the start still seemed promising when BNC captain Jesper Simens took a hard shot from more than thirty meters and Heiligerlee goalkeeper Arjen Klap could only make the save with the greatest possible difficulty.
To Swarts’ astonishment
That was immediately the case for BNC. To Swarts’ astonishment, his team played uninspired and very little else happened. “While we have had a decent preparation, with a number of good matches, and now that it really matters, it is nothing at all.” Heiligerlee simply remained upright and even had the best chances.
Right back Steijn Bootsman was often involved. It was also he who prepared Reininga’s 1-0, via a measured cross from the right. Even after the quick goal, immediately after the break, the team of Heiligerlee coach Ard Leraar continued to control the match.
‘We had a more difficult time after the break’
“Although it was a bit more difficult for us after the break,” Leraar noted. “Without this directly leading to opportunities for BNC. We had prepared ourselves for a difficult afternoon, against a fanatically playing BNC, but that wasn’t too bad. We could and should have scored more often. But I think the victory is certainly deserved.” Now his team scored the second goal ten minutes before the end, through Reininga again.
Ultimately, missing those opportunities seemed to have an ugly impact on Heiligerlee. While on the one hand, substitute Dylan van der Heijden shot over on behalf of Heiligerlee, almost on the goal line. Maurice Nuijen scored the equalizer in the attack that followed.
‘This was a mockery’
It didn’t get that far because goalkeeper Klap threw himself in front of the ball and ensured that his team walked off the field with the victory moments later. While Leraar and his team entered the dressing room with smiling faces, Swarts found it difficult to accept his team’s performance. “This was a mockery.”
BNC-Heiligerlee: 1-2
Score progression : 45. Reininga 0-1, 47. Kroeze 1-1, 81. Reininga 1-2.
Yellow card : Simens, Hoogstraten, Wolbers. (BNC), Snoek (Heiligerlee)
Referee : May
Spectators : 150.
BNC : Siemens; Nuus (77. Hoogstraten), Jonker (81. Nuijen), Wolbers and Simens; De Boer (46. Houwen), Joran Sikkes, Smeins and Prins (76. Rowen Sikkes); Kroeze and Ganzeveld.
Heiligerlee : Clap; Boatswain (74. Nieland), Lange, Drent and Dreijer (78. Vos); Hoogstraten, Gelderloos, Snoek (81. Van der Heijden) and Haan; Eden (74. Baas) and Reininga (81. Brehen).