Hoogeveen failed to reach the third period and thus qualify for post-competition football for promotion to the Second Division. The Hoogeveners won 2-1 at home against SC Genemuiden, but saw DVS’33 Ermelo make no mistake and take the period title.
“I am actually very proud and satisfied overall, but I still have a disappointed feeling,” Hoogeveen head coach Björn Zwikker said afterwards. “Not about today, because we played very well, but I’m actually still a bit sour about last week.”
It works like this: in the penultimate round, Hoogeveen personally handed over the best papers for the third period to USV Hercules. Due to a 1-0 defeat at Huizen, the Drenthe club dropped from the top position to fourth place in the third period. As a result, four teams still had a chance to win the period title in the last round: Hercules, DVS’33 Ermelo, Hoogeveen and this afternoon’s opponent: Genemuiden. Hoogeveen won, Hercules drew, but due to a minimal victory over Huizen, the third period went to Ermelo.
A disaster? “No, not that. It has never been a goal,” Zwikker explains. “We have achieved the most important thing and that is enforcement.” And so the trainer looks back on last season with pride. “It was a great season in a great competition with a lot of resistance. Moreover, when I look at how those boys have developed individually and as a team, we can only be very proud of that.”
