FOOTBALL – The period title in the Hoofdklasse A is a fact for VV Hoogeveen. Nico Haak’s team equalized in the very last minute of the match against Alphense Boys and can no longer be overtaken by closest attacker Be Quick 1887. Ayoub Ben Ali Ahlaq was the hero of the day with the redeeming goal.
After last weekend’s draw, another draw would be enough for Hoogeveen to secure the period title in the Dutch big league. However, coach Nico Haak had to make major changes to his line-up prior to the match after his fast striker Raphael Ngendakumana was injured last week and was unable to play today. Haak, among others, moved on to central defender Kjelt Engbers to the striker position.
Positive and Negative
And it was his shot that put the opening goal on the board. “At a good moment, because we were getting better and better in the game. The lead was therefore justified”, Engbers said afterwards. However, where he was involved in a positive sense in the first goal, he was involved in a negative sense in the equalizer of Alphense Boys. “I gave a wide ball, while we had agreed not to do that. That led to us losing the ball and a goal against. Until then there was little to worry about, but this was really my fault”, the new striker admitted frankly.
After Alphense Boys also scored 2-1 with fifteen minutes to play, Hoogeveen seemed to lose all grip on the period title. Until the home team had to continue with 10 men with three minutes of official playing time after a disturbance in the Hoogeveen penalty area. Then Hoogeveen started to increase the pressure again. From a throw-in, the ball came in the 94th minute through some intermediaries at the feet of Ayoub Ben Ali Ahlaq, who scored the redeeming equalizer. At the kick-off, the referee immediately whistled and the period title for Hoogeveen was still a fact.
“We are very happy with the period, but we are also critical. Today it was not good enough and if Alphense Boys had won here we could not have said anything about it. Fortunately, we can build on the individual qualities within the team and Ayoub was standing today in the right place”, concludes Engbers.
position
Hoogeveen thus remains the leader in the standings of the Hoofdklasse A and because Be Quick 1887 did not play today, the gap has even become slightly larger. Hoogeveen has 31 points from 14 games and Be Quick follows with four points behind. SJC didn’t play today either and is third with 26 out of 13. Next week Hoogeveen will play at home against SDO from Bussum. That team is the last in the Dutch big league. Kjelt Engbers will not play there, by the way, because of a yellow card he picked up today, he is suspended for one game.