He will quickly want to forget Leeroy Echteld’s debut at Jong AZ. The new trainer lost hard in Groningen against the local FC: 4-1.
At the start of the match it did not seem to end in a punishment for Jong AZ. The youngsters from Alkmaar took the lead after fifteen minutes through the man in form: Ernest Poku. The attacker received the ball in midfield from Kees Smit, started walking and soloed to the 0-1. Groningen could not achieve anything in the initial phase.
That changed after a free kick from Wouter Prins ended up on the crossbar out of nowhere. He was also responsible for the Groningen equalizer. Johan Hove completed Prins’s cross into the goal. Things went from bad to worse after that. Lewis Schouten made hands in the box and Romano Postema made it 2-1 from the penalty spot.
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Postema also scored the Groningers’ third goal in the second half. He received a through ball from Thom van Bergen and finished coolly. After fumbling in Jong AZ’s defense, the same Van Bergen made it 4-1. After the break, Groningen was lord and master in their own Euroborg against the Alkmaar youngsters.
So it was a painful evening for Jong AZ in Groningen. Due to the defeat, the promises are in eleventh place in the first division with 32 points. Roda JC is Jong AZ’s next opponent in Kerkrade on February 5.
Jong AZ line-up: Say; Esteves (Van Aken/60), Stam, Schouten, Dekkers; Kwakman, Meerdink (Kerssens/60), Smit (Mastoras/60); Kewal (Koster/78), Ernest Poku (Reverson/46), Daal.