FC Groningen was unable to stop the malaise in the ‘Derby of the North’. The club was also unable to cope with sc Heerenveen in the Abe Lenstra Stadium and lost 3-1. The Frisians made the difference in the final phase with two goals within a minute.
Groningen has come deeper into relegation concerns due to the new defeat, Heerenveen climbed to seventh place in the Eredivisie.
Supporters of FC Groningen were missing in Heerenveen. They found the six hundred allocated admission tickets too few and stayed home in protest.
The home team quickly took the lead. Amin Sarr reacted alertly after a long kick from goalkeeper Andries Noppert. The Swedish striker picked up the ball, rushed past defender Thijmen Blokzeil and passed Groningen keeper Michael Verrips.
FC Groningen gradually came out of its shell and after 40 minutes the equalizer fell. After a badly taken corner kick, there was a lot of fiddling in front of Noppert’s goal. Eventually the ball reached the feet of Florian Krüger, who hit the target.
In the second half it took a long time for Heerenveen to push through. After 81 minutes, Pelle van Amersfoort headed in from a corner kick: 2-1. Less than a minute later, the 3-1 was already in after a counter over the left flank. Sarr neatly rounded off Mats Köhlert’s cross and made his second of the afternoon.
Source: ANP