Milano Koenders’ late strike salvages all three points for the Yellow Army as Gertjan Verbeek’s men struggled to put the league minnows away.
On Eredivisie match-day 17, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/NAC-Breda-c39983 at Rat Verlegh Stadion on Sunday, December 18.
The Alkmaar outfit commenced proceedings away from home brightly and pierced through the home side’s defence consistently in the opening half hour of action. NAC goalkeeper, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jelle-ten-Rouwelaar-c18282, denied Charlison Benschop’s effort in the ninth minute to keep
the deadlock intact.
Four minutes later, Rasmus Elm’s long range effort crashed back off the post as the home side continued to live dangerously. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Brett-Holman-c8047 had a perfect opportunity to give AZ a deserving lead at the half-hour mark, but the Australian ace fired wide of the
target.
In the 31st minute, the Yellow Army broke the deadlock when http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Anthony-Lurling-c6220 hit the back of the net. AZ defender, Etienne Reijnen, headed Milano Koenders’ cross in the box in an attempt to clear the ball. However, the ball went straight to Lurling,
who made no mistake in curling the ball into the top right corner of the net.
Ten minutes later, AZ had a perfect chance to level the score-line. However, Pontus Wernbloom missed a sitter from six yards out after the NAC goalkeeper failed to hold on to Holman’s effort from close range.
The Alkmaar outfit, however, got the equaliser they were looking for in the stoppage time of the opening half through Holman. The Australian International collected Elm’s corner and fired into the back of the net from 10 yards.
AZ started the second-half in the same way and put consistent pressure on the home side’s defence. However, the Rats goalkeeper made two brilliant saves to deny Benschop and Wernbloom, keeping alive his side’s hopes of securing a good result.
In the 62nd minute, Holman could have given AZ a deserving lead when he collected a ball on the right. However, the 27-year-old somehow missed an open goal from close range and fired his shot wide of the target.
With the game nearing full time whistle, it looked destined for a 1-1 stalemate. However, the home side changed the outcome of the match in the 90th minute. After earning a corner, Koenders drilled home the winner from eight yards to give NAC
an unlikely 2-1 win.
All three points ensured that NAC climb up the league table to occupy the 10th spot, while AZ keep their position at the summit of the Eredivisie table intact, a solitary point ahead of the second placed http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/PSV-c40281 Eindhoven.
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