The number of games left to be played this season is decreasing and decreasing. On a visit to Go Ahead Eagles, a good result for Willem II was therefore of great importance in the fight against relegation. But that good result did not come, in Deventer the team of trainer Kevin Hofland went down 4-0.
The accompanying fans asked for ‘blood, sweat and tears’ at the end of the first half. At that time there were really only tears for everything and everyone with a soft spot for Willem II. At that time, the Tilburg team was already trailing 2-0, which reduced the hope of (direct) enforcement.
In the beginning of the game Willem II was a kind of chess player. Thinking about every action, working towards a masterstroke. It was not high-quality, but that is not important at this stage of the competition. The search for a goal was unsuccessful, it was Go Ahead Eagles that took the lead.
Without goals
It is not entirely surprising that Willem II failed to reach the opponent’s goal. After the win over RKC Waalwijk in early February, it scored just two goals in seven games. In Deventer, Hofland’s team also remained without goals. The counter in the entire season now stands at 23 hits, only Sparta – with three fewer matches played – and PEC Zwolle are doing worse with twenty goals.
Shortly after the break, Willem II was close to scoring. Significantly, it was Cuco Martin, a player of Go Ahead Eagles, who almost scored. He saw goalkeeper Noppert react well and take the ball just before the goal line. After an hour of play, it was Noppert who bizarrely managed to tap a header from Hornkamp out of the goal. ‘Noppert in Oranje’, was the reaction of the audience. Thanks to the goalie, a certain goal did not become a goal, to the disbelief of the Willem II players.
Goals against from corner kicks
At such a moment Willem II just lacks a bit of luck that you sometimes have to have. Lucky the home team had in the first half. Timon Wellenreuther saved a good header from a corner. What followed was a scrimmage in front of the German’s goal, who managed to turn a few attempts with the help of a few teammates. In the end it was Isac Lidberg who hit the target in the shooting gallery: 1-0.
Ten minutes before halftime it was open house again at the back of Willem II. Lidberg, Joris Kramer, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Mats Deijl and Inigo Córdoba did not get the ball into the goal. Not much later, De Adelaarshorst exploded. The corner that followed after the shower of chances was initially cleared, but the deflected ball was brought back into the penalty area and it was Córdoba who successfully put his head against the ball. Wellenreuther saw the ball disappear over him into the goal: 2-0.
In the last twenty minutes of the game, the home side managed to score two more times. Substitutes Ogechika Heil and Marc Cardona – the latter also from a corner – ensure the 4-0 final score.
Degradation stress
Willem II still remains above ‘the line’ in the ranking. The Tilburg team is still fifteenth, but has to look down with fear. Sparta has only played one point less, but also played three games less. Fortuna Sittard is just like the Rotterdam team on 22 points, the Limburg team has two more matches to play compared to Willem II. Hekkensluiter PEC Zwolle has three points less, later this weekend that team will at least be on the same level in matches.
The stress of possible relegation will remain with Willem II for the rest of the season. The Tricolores have five more duels to play to save their lives. Points must be taken in the duels with Vitesse, PSV, Heracles Almelo, SC Cambuur and FC Utrecht.