NEC Nijmegen 0 - 1 Heerenveen

NEC Nijmegen 0-1 Heerenveen

Updated: December 2, 2007, 4:59 PM UK

NIJMEGEN, December 2 (Eredivisie) - Heerenveen went fourth in the Dutch Eredivisie thanks to a freakish goal from Jacob Poulsen on a quagmire of a pitch.

NEC coach Mario Been had expressed his concerns before the match that his team had acquired a losing mentality and had admitted he was trying to address the problem.

However, on this evidence Been would have been wiser to study meteorology as Poulsen's clever use of the the dreadful surface eventually decided the match.

Playing conditions were difficult with players often sliding on the treacherous surface and the ball sometimes getting stuck.

Heerenveen created the first chance after 23 minutes when Danijel Pranjic's cross found Radoslaw Matusiak who connected with his right foot but, after initially fumbling the ball, Gabor Babos made the save.

At the other end Brian Vandenbussche did well to save Jhonny van Beukering's header from Tim Janssen's cross and then made another fine stop to tip Dominique Kivuvu's shot around the post.

Janssen then headed Krisztian Vadocz's cross wide as the good spell continued for NEC.

It was somewhat against the run of play when Heerenveen scored and it was down as much to the elements as Poulsen.

Poulsen played the ball past a first defender and it came to a halt because of the bad conditions while a second defender slipped as he tried to react. Poulsen kept his balance and scored from inside the area despite the best efforts of Babos who got some of the ball.

In the second half, NEC tried to get back on terms and Kivuvu set up Brett Holman who was foiled by Vandenbussche.

Babos almost gifted a second to Heerenveen when he kicked the ball straight to Pranjic who transferred it to Geert Arend Roorda whose shot was well saved.

Michael Bradley forced Babos to make another save but at the death NEC spurned the chance of an equaliser.

Saidi Ntibazonkiza passed to substitute Holman whose shot was fielded by Vandenbussche.