NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie Week 34 report

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Mark van Bommel bowed out of professional football on Sunday after tasting yet another red card in his final game of his career which ended in defeat. Full story and highlights below.

Feyenoord 1 (Pellè 59) NAC Breda 0 Feyenoord finished the season in third just place missing a Champions League spot because of PSV’s majorly superior goal difference. They will enter the Europa League in August, but they did not get all their own way at home to NAC Breda. The hosts were struggling to create any real good chances in a difficult first half but found a breakthrough just before the hour, although the goal scored by Graziano Pellè was debatable. The Italian forward rose to head the ball towards the goal from a corner, this was cleared off the line by Breda’s Tim Gilissen. His header crashed off the cross bar and off the line but the linesman awarded the goal much to the protests of the NAC’s players. HIGHLIGHTS

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FC Groningen 0 Ajax 2 (Sigthórsson 8, Hoeson 72) Champions Ajax travelled to Groningen looking for another three points to take their tally higher, as the home side were wishing to cement a Europa League playoff spot. Groningen did gain their playoff place but were still defeated 2-0 by Frank de Boer’s men. The hosts did trouble Ajax in parts but hot-shot Icelandic international striker Kolbeinn Sigthórsson scored an early goal after a lovely through ball from left-back Danny Blind, whom the striker finished coolly past Marco Bizot. The win was confirmed and Ajax ended their season on a high when young substitutes Stefano Denswil and Danny Hoeson combined and the latter hit a beautiful right foot smashed in his fifth goal of the season. Robert Maaskant’s Groningen play host to FC Twente on Thursday night in the first leg of the Europa League playoffs. HIGHLIGHTS

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NEC Nijmegen 1 (Conboy 90) RKC Waalwijk 2 (Anderson 7, Jozefzoon 60) RKC took the lead with the debutant attacking midfielder Kenny Anderson after 7 minutes after some great determined work from Florian Jozefzoon. In the second half, on 50 minutes Hungarian goalkeeper Gabor Babos, moving to NAC Breda on July 1st, was substitute and received a standing ovation from the Nijmegen support. On the hour, the away side doubled their lead. A counter attack lead by a big kick from on-loan goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet put Jozefzoon through who slotted home past Swedish goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson. NEC gained a consolation goal on full-time from Kevin Conboy. Both teams finished safe on 37 points, just four points above the relegation trouble. HIGHLIGHTS

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Roda JC 1 (Németh 31) Heerenveen 0 Former Liverpool youth striker Krisztián Németh grabbed the only goal of the game as Marco van Basten’s Heerenveen lost their third game on the bounce. The in-form Yassine El Ghanassy, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, went close a few times but failed to gain a goal for the vistors. Roda JC took the lead after Hungarian striker Németh found the net following a goal mouth scramble on 31 minutes, Heerenveen finish in eighth and begin the Europa League playoffs on Thursday night facing FC Utrecht at the Abe Lenstra Stadion. Roda are in relegation trouble and start their relegation playoff campaign away to De Graafschap on Thursday also. ——-

FC Twente 3 (Castaignos 3, Chadli 27, Janssen 54) PSV Eindhoven 1 (Mertens 40P) PSV ended an horrible week and the reign under Dick Advocaat with a 3-1 defeat away to Europa League playoff qualifiers FC Twente. PSV were down in under 3 minutes with an excellent solo effort bu Luc Castaignos. In the 27th minute, goalkeeper Boy Waterman’s poor clearance put the Eindhoven side under pressure and Nader Chadli finished with ease to double the advantage. Before the half-time break, A striker challenge by Castaignos on midfielder Atiba Hutchinson gave PSV a penalty which Dries Mertens landed no problem. The game was killed off on 54 minutes by a Willem Janssen goal after some great work down the left from Chadli. Mark van Bommel, who announced his retirement after the match and looks to take up a coaching role at the Eindhoven club, was sent off in a fitting tribute on 71 minutes. He received a double booking for two awful challenges, the second an awful stamping challenge on Dusan Tadic. HIGHLIGHTS

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FC Utrecht 3 (van der Gun 54, Mulenga 71P, Toornstra 74) Heracles 0 Fifth placed Utrecht defeated mid-table Heracles Almelo by a dominating three goals on their final week of the season, with all goals coming in the second half. Cedric van der Gun, Jacob Mulenga and Jens Toornstra grabbed the goals as Utrecht head into the European playoffs this week. ——-

Vitesse Arnhem 0 VVV Venlo 1 (Linssen 27) VVV Venlo brought a final day surprise with a hard fought 1-0 win away to fourth-place Vitesse Arnhem. Bryan Linssen gives VVV the surprise lead with some great determination shown by the winger and a good finish. VVV face Go Ahead Eagles in a two-legged relegation playoff beginning on Thursday in Deventer. ——- Willem II 2 (Misidjan 47, Wijnaldum 65og) AZ Alkmaar 0 In another surprise win, already relegated Willem II grabbed a 2-0 home win against KNVB Beker winners AZ Alkmaar. Both teams created opportunities but neither could find the net until the early stages of the second half when young winger Virgil Misidjan grabbing his eighth goal of the season. The Tilburgers were handed the win when AZ’s left-back Giliano Wijnaldum headed into his own net past Costa Rican goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado. AZ will enter the Europa League next year due to their KNVB Beker win last Thursday against PSV as Willem II will begin their quest to regain an Eredivisie position in the Eereste Divisie in August. ——- PEC Zwolle 4 (Benson 19, 55, Saymak 67, Mokhtar 86) ADO Den Haag 2 (Kolk 65, Poepon 85) Finally, a six goal thriller in Zwolle gave PEC a 4-2 victory over the ten-men of ADO Den Haag. Due to Heerenveen’s defeat ADO could have leapfrogged themselves into a European playoff spot but failed to do so. The in-form Fred Benson grabbed another two goals adding to Mustafa Saymak and Youness Mokhtar’s goals. Santi Kolk and Rydell Poepon replied for Den Haag. PEC Zwolle finish a respectable 11th in their first season back in the top flight as ADO finish ninth. ——-