Volendam takes three points again, this time against a weakly operating Vitesse

FC Volendam recorded its fourth win of the calendar year, bringing the club from the fishing village’s number of league victories this season to five.

This time, weak-footed Vitesse had to suffer. It was 2-0 on the shores of the IJsselmeer. Daryl van Mieghem scored both goals.

The win puts Emmen ahead of fellow relegation candidates FC Emmen and FC Groningen, who drew against each other. Volendam retains the fifteenth place in the premier league above Emmen, Groningen and SC Cambuur.

Watch the premier league standings and post-match reactions below. FC Volendam coach Wim Jonk also discusses the managerial crisis at his club.

Emmen and Vitesse had appeared at the kickoff with mourning bands. Vitesse thus commemorated former player Christian Atsu, who died in the recent earthquake in Turkey.

The home team was reflecting on the death last week of Wim Kras (79 years old), who is still in the books as the youngest player (15 years and 290 days, in 1959) and youngest goal scorer (16 years and 100 days, in 1960) in the premier league.

Perhaps still under the impression of the minute’s applause that preceded the match, Volendam defender Xavier Mbuyamba played the ball pass-first into the feet of Vitessen striker Bartosz Bialek, who was able to strike free in front of the premier league debutant goalkeeper Barry Lauwers. However, the striker did not hit the ball properly.

A minute later, at the other end, it was a goal. Francesco Antonucci served Daryl van Mieghem, who took the ball from the penalty spot in one go and saw it roll via an Arnheim leg into the far corner: 1-0.

Shortly before halftime, Vitesse got away well after panicky ball loss by Nicolas Isimat-Mirin. The shot by Gaetano Oristanio, who received a five-match suspension after his red card against AZ but could play against Vitesse because Volendam appealed the punishment, was parried with some luck by goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen.

For a long time after the break, there was little to see in FC Volendam’s home ground, renamed the Wim Kras Stadion for this occasion. Vitesse, which had lost only one of its last nine matches (1-0 at PSV), made a powerless impression, while the hosts did not need to, with the 1-0 on the scoreboard, and kept the defensive positions closed.

Yet the 2-0 came thanks to a clever header by Henk Veerman, with which the substitute passed the ball to Josh Flint, who was also in the game. His hard low cross was slid into the Vitesse goal by Van Mieghem. Bialek could have restored the tension moments later, but he drove the ball high over in a promising position.

Walid Ould Chikh could have given the win even more shine, but he slid wide on a pass from playmaker Carel Eiting.