Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:55 PM
FC Groningen started the final of the season with a victory on Friday evening. In The Hague the score was 0-2 once morest ADO. The halftime score in the Hofstad was 0-1. Romano Postema and Thom van Bergen scored for head coach Dick Lukkien’s team. The Pride of the North now has 60 points following 31 competition matches in the Kitchen Champion Division. Next Monday, Easter Monday, the FC will be back in action with a catch-up game. The kick-off will be at the Oude Meerdijk at 2.30 pm.
FC Groningen missed left back Wouter Prins in The Hague due to an injury. Until the last moment it was exciting whether Hidde Jurjus would be fit enough to be behind the bar. The experienced goalkeeper had flu symptoms in the run-up to the top match in the Kitchen Champion Division. Jurjus traveled to The Hague and following the warm-up the green light came.
First half
Supported by a packed away section with 500 FC supporters, Lukkien’s team got off to a strong start. Early in the match, Thom van Bergen was allowed to claim a penalty when the striker collided with Nick Marsman and the ADO keeper did not play the ball. After twenty minutes of play, FC still deservedly took the lead. Van Bergen gave a fantastic backheel to the passing Luciano Valente, who kept control over the ball and enabled Romano Postema to score, 0-1.
During the entire first half, FC Groningen was the dominant party and it was more likely that the lead would be extended than that the home team would come alongside. However, the margin remained tight for the second company.
Second half
In the second half, FC Groningen kept control of the match. It did not lead to opportunities on either side. Until following more than an hour of play, Valente was handed the ball halfway through the Hague half, started dribbling and then delivered a great through ball to Johan Hove. The Norwegian pulled the ball in front and Van Bergen was ready to score: 0-2. That lead was no longer threatened in the remainder of the match.
With his 16th competition goal and ninth in one month (March), Postema became the third player with at least nine KKD goals in one calendar month in the past fifteen years. Only two former FC players imitated him: Michael de Leeuw in March 2010 (9 for Veendam) and Thijs Dallinga in November 2021 (9 for Excelsior).
Player of the Year
This season, supporters will once more choose the Player of the Year by voting for the King of the Match at every match. Cast your vote for your favorite in The Hague via this link:
Home game
On Easter Monday, FC Groningen will play the catch-up game in and once morest Emmen. The kick-off at the Oude Meerdijk is at 2:30 PM. The next home match is next Sunday (April 7) once morest NAC Breda. The duel between the Pride of the North and the Pearl of the South starts in Euroborg at lunchtime: 12.15 pm. A club card obligation applies to the remaining home games in the competition.
FC Groningen opts for registered ticket sales in the decisive phase of the competition, so that there are actually FC supporters in the home sections in Euroborg. Season ticket and club card holders can purchase three tickets per ticket for the match once morest NAC via https://tickets.fcgroningen.nl.
