RKC drew 1-1 at NEC on Saturday afternoon. For a long time, the Waalwijkers seemed on their way to a victory, but two minutes before the end it still went wrong.
Presents are there to be unwrapped. Something Richard van der Venne did after more than fifteen minutes of football. In the back it went wrong at NEC. There was confusion about a second ball that came into the field, but above all there was a clumsy loss of ball.
The RKC midfielder took advantage of this mistake and neatly shot the ball past the NEC goalie. It was the first time that the Waalwijkers were near the sixteen meter area.
To prevent
RKC had clearly not come to Nijmegen to play nice football. The result was sacred. They had lost three times in a row, while the competition suddenly started taking points. RKC was still above the line before the start of the game, but saw a large lead dwindling in recent weeks. Place sixteen came close again.
In the well-known 532 formation, RKC was able to stop after the lead. It did that with gusto. NEC didn’t get a chance in the first half, while the home team did have most of the ball. It wasn’t good for the entertainment value of the game.
Missed opportunities
The second half was much more fun to watch. NEC started taking risks, so that many spaces were created for visitors during the switchover. Michiel Kramer prevented the home team from equalizing on the line. Van der Venne had two excellent opportunities for the 0-2.
The attacking midfielder returned to base on Saturday afternoon after returning from injury. The number ten of RKC is always at the forefront of the battle and that was something the Waalwijkers needed against a physically strong NEC.
The pressure from the home team got bigger and bigger, but it was RKC that got the biggest opportunities. It left several promising moments unused.
Late equalizer
It became expensive misses for RKC. Because two minutes before time it went wrong for the Waalwijkers. Elayis Tavsan shrewdly deflected a shot, leaving keeper Etienne Vaessen no chance.
NEC smelled blood and was still looking for a winning goal. Despite the necessary opportunities in the five minutes of injury time, they failed to materialize. RKC takes a point on a visit to the people of Nijmegen. An excellent result on paper, although it will feel like a defeat.