Westerkwartier defeated leader VAKO on Saturday with remarkable ease and therefore remains fully in the title race of the fifth class E.
It was the last chance for Westerkwartier on Saturday to make the list leader look back nervously in the remaining four games. In case of a loss, the difference would increase to no less than eight points. And it must be said, that last chance was seized with both hands. The list leader was completely deserved with a 4-1 defeat.
Don’t worry
VAKO will not have traveled to Niebert in any case, because the first meeting between the two teams in Vries ended in a heavy 6-1 defeat. The passionately playing Westerkwartier was the parent for a long time in the first half, but the predominance did not yield many opportunities. Rense Dijk had two nice opportunities in the first half hour and top scorer Willem Pieter Wouda, aka the red carpet, saw a bet by VAKO goalkeeper Ronan Rona narrowly turned into a corner.
After about half an hour of play, the deserved lead came. With a rehearsed free kick, Dijk placed the ball wide on the incoming Martijn Kuiper, who saw his shot disappear untouched past several players into the far corner: 1-0. The backlog did bring some more life to the game of the slow-playing visitors, but the home team easily held their own until half-time.
Blunder
Shortly after the restart, Rona kept VAKO going with a feline save on a header by Wietze Venema, but moments later the same goalkeeper was able to sink through the ground. A shot from Maurik de Vries seemed easy to pick up, but Rona saw the ball roll into the goal through hands and legs: 2-0.
VAKO went one-on-one in the rear after that blunder, but that turned out wrong. Shortly afterwards, Venema was able to head in the 3-0 unimpeded from a measured cross and a few minutes later Rona made another mistake. The unfortunate closing post lost an aerial duel to De Vries, after which the ball finally caromed into the goal via a teammate and the crossbar.
With that the duel was decided. VAKO substitute Karsten Koopman saved the proverbial honor just in time: 4-1. The battle for the championship is now completely open again, Westerkwartier coach Johan Wardenier also knows. “We didn’t give anything away against the leader today. A big compliment to the team. We now have to win our own matches and hope for a misstep by VAKO. At least we are ready for the fourth class.”
Westerkwartier-VAKO 4-1
Scoring progression: 33. Kuiper 1-0, 63. De Vries 2-0, 65. Venema 3-0, 65. De Vries 4-0, 88. Karsten Koopman 4-1.
Yellow card: Twijnstra (Westerkwartier), Vissia, Liewes (VAKO).
Referee: Doornbosch.
Spectators: 200.
Westerkwartier: Heidinga, Henstra (78. Boerema), De Boer, De Wit, Twijnstra, Dijk, De Vries (78. Storms), Kuiper (46. Van der Veen), Wiersema (67. Suurd), Venema, Wouda (85. Akkerman ).
VAKO: Rona, Vissia, Meijering, De Bruin (67. Karsten Koopman), Eizinga (61. Polman), Hondeveld, Liewes, Van Huffelen, Goedkoop (67. Elling), Steenbergen (78. Koops), Nanne Jan Koopman.