FC Utrecht fights back handsomely against NEC after double dip
NOS Football–
Watch the summary NEC-FC Utrecht
FC Utrecht gave a first sign of life after last week’s double dip; the disaster in the cup against Spakenburg (4-1) and the subsequent defeat against Fortuna Sittard (2-1). A tentative bright spot followed on a visit to NEC, in Nijmegen Utrecht fought back from a 2-0 deficit: 2-2.
The match started with considerable pressure from the Utrechters on NEC’s half. The best chance of the match for the Nijmegen team came after fifteen minutes, when Magnus Mattsson shot from very close range after an extended throw-in and Vasilis Barkas just managed to get his body in front of it.
Then followed an excellent attack by FC Utrecht. On a pass from Sander van de Streek, Zakaria Labyad shot at goal, but with too little power and so Jasper Cillessen could easily pick up the ball.
In the 31st minute Oussama Tannane gave a great cross to Landry Dimata who popped the ball hard and low into the right corner: 1-0 for NEC.
Fire back at FC Utrecht after halftime
Shortly after halftime, NEC doubled the score. In the 47th minute it was Dimata again who scored, after Mattsson had bypassed the goalkeeper with a clever pass: 2-0. FC Utrecht gave it away in childish fashion and still had a tight half to prevent the third defeat in a row.
In the 62nd minute, the tying goal finally came for Michael Silberbauer’s team. Anastasios Douvikas shot hard at goal from distance, Cillessen stopped the ball, but did not handle it well, so substitute Bas Dost was able to tap the ball in from close range (2-1), his seventh goal this season. And so it became another game with tension.
Dost’s arrival brought fire to the team and led to the equalizer moments later. Douvikas passed the ball excellently to Othmane Boussaid, who easily tapped the ball in at the far post and so FC Utrecht was back in the game: 2-2.
In the closing stages both teams went full for the win. Fifteen minutes before the end Barkas prevented the 3-2 with his left hand after a shot by Elayis Tavsan. It did not get much more exciting. And so a point is the result for the Utrechters, after painful defeats against Fortuna Sittard and Spakenburg.
