Twente snatch win in a thriller

Twente snatch win in a thriller

Bryan Ruiz netted an 89th-minute winner as Eredivisie leaders FC Twente held off a fightback from NEC Nijmegen to win 4-3 and remain two points clear at the top of the table.

The hosts went in front through John Goosens before a Kenneth Perez free-kick and strikes from Blaise N'Kufo and Miroslav Stoch saw Twente go 3-1 up.

However, Bjorn Vleminckx scored after 41 and 45 minutes to pull NEC level before he was sent off after 55 minutes.

Ruiz then headed a late winner as Steve McClaren's side secured a 14th win from 16 games - and an 11th successive victory.

PSV Eindhoven remain in close pursuit after winning 2-0 at RKC Waalwijk.

PSV's winning run in all competitions reached double figures as second-half headers from Jonathan Reis and Danko Lazovic accounted for the Eredivisie's bottom team.

Third-placed Ajax slipped off the pace with a 2-0 defeat at FC Utrecht.

The visitors offered little in the way of attacking threat over 90 minutes and Utrecht ran out deserved winners thanks to second-half strikes by Jacob Mulenga and Jan Wuytens.

A miserable afternoon for Martin Jol's Ajax was compounded late on when Vurnon Anita was given his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Feyenoord came from behind to defeat FC Groningen 3-1.

Fourth-placed Feyenoord would have been confident of three points going into the match but they were behind in only the fourth minute as Koen van de Laak struck the opener.

It stayed that way until the eighth minute of the second half, when Stefan Babovic levelled, and further goals from Roy Makaay and Jon Dahl Tomasson earned the hosts the three points.

In Sunday's other game, Heracles maintained their fine start with a 3-1 win against Heerenveen which moved them up to sixth.

A Mark Looms header and a Willy Overtoom penalty put the home side in total control. Heerenveen pulled one back through a Oussama Assaidi strike but Heracles sealed it when Bas Dost netted late on.

On Satruday, reigning champions AZ Alkmaar let a lead slip as Vitesse Arnhem scored twice in the second half to claim a 2-1 away win.

Moussa Dembele provided AZ with a ninth-minute advantage, but goals in the opening 15 minutes of the second half from Lasse Nilsson and Dalibor Stevanovic earned Vitesse a vital three points.

With 11 minutes to go Dembele and Stevanovic were sent off for fighting.

Keisuke Honda converted a last-minute penalty as VVV boosted their survival hopes with a 2-1 victory over Willem II.

The visitors took a 66th minute lead through Arjan Swinkels, but VVV levelled 10 minutes from time through Adil Auassar and then stole the points through the highly-rated Honda.

Roda JC hung on for a 1-1 draw at home to ADO Den Haag after playing the final stages with 10 men following Arnaud Djum's red card.

Earlier, Mads Junker had give the hosts a half-time lead before Karim Soltani's 57th minute goal earned Den Haag a point.

Rydell Poepon struck a 78th minute equaliser as Sparta Rotterdam came from behind to force a 2-2 draw away to NAC Breda.

Sparta had taken a 24th minute lead through Erik Falkenburg, but two goals in as many minutes from Leonardo and Patrick Zwaanswijk briefly put NAC in control before Poepon's effort.