FOOTBALL – Reda Kharchouch did his utmost to make it a difficult afternoon against VVV in Venlo. The striker missed a penalty and an imposed chance in the first half, but in the end top scorer Rui Mendes and substitute Azzeddine Toufiqui provided a new three-pointer from Drenthe: 0-2.
Due to the victory, the team of trainer Dick Lukkien took full advantage of the misstep made by the competition. FC Volendam, Excelsior and FC Eindhoven played a draw last night. FC Emmen now has 67 points from 31 matches. FC Volendam follows on three points and the team that is just outside of direct promotion, Excelsior, is 59.
penalty
The game started sensationally with two teams playing full on the attack. First VVV got an opportunity via Roemer and in the counterattack the ball went on the spot (after two minutes) after a foul by Tobias Paschonik on Jasin-Amin Assehnoun. Kharchouch went behind the ball, but shot the ball hopelessly over Delano van Crooij’s goal. Then Emmen crawled through the eye of the needle when Kees de Boer suddenly appeared in front of Michael Brouwer. The midfielder appeared to score, but shot wide from the outside of the post.
After that wonderful initial phase, more and more initiative was given. The Drentse formation, which played without Jeroen Veldmate and Ole Romeny (for them Arnaud Luzayadio and Peter van Ooijen played), was sloppy in the vicinity of the enemy sixteen. Yet Emmen still got a mega chance on the opening goal just before half-time. Kharchouch came face to face with Van Crooij after a wonderful deep pass from Assehnoun, but again Kharchouch was unable to find the net.
Mendes
Halfway through the second half FC Emmen got VVV to its knees. Mendes reacted well to Jari Vlak’s deep pass and took advantage of Sem Dirks’ slide. FC Emmen’s top scorer then scored in a controlled manner (0-1). It marked his tenth of the season for the Portuguese attacker.
Toufiqui
Whoever expected a final offensive from the home team afterwards was disappointed. In fact, it was Emmen that had the best chances. However, Lukkien’s men, like the entire match, were mediocre in the final phase. Yet there was a second goal from Drenthe. Toufiqui stole the ball from Dirks and shot in flawlessly.