Twente 1-0 Ajax: Tukkers Beat Amsterdam Giants And Stay Top

A goal from Bryan Ruiz minutes after the break helped Twente to a 1-0 lead and Ajax were unable to draw things level again in the remainder of the game.

The Amsterdam side started the match the better side of the two and got a great chance to open the score after eight minutes of play. Jan Vertonghen set up Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan international fired a first time shot which scraped the crossbar and went over.

Blaise Nkufo went to the ground just inside the Ajax penalty area after being nudged by Demy de Zeeuw and the Twente players appealed for a penalty. The referee wasn’t impressed though and waved play on.

Theo Janssen tried his luck from long range halfway the first half, but the Twente midfielder aimed too high and his shot ended up in the stands.

Minutes later, Suarez bore down on goal for Ajax and fired a toe poke from inside the penalty area. However, the skipper’s attempt rippled the side of the net and the chance went begging.

On loan Chelsea winger Miroslav Stoch tried a first time shot from 20 metres out with five more minutes to be played before the interval, but his attempt flied well past the post and the score remained scoreless.

The Tukkers started the second half brilliantly and top scorer Bryan Ruiz gave Twente the lead from a terrific set piece. He rose best to meet Janssen’s free kick in the box and was left totally unmarked to nod his side in the lead.

Swiss international N’Kufo almost made it two for Twente after 51 minutes, as he fired in a terrific bullet header which slipped only just by the post. The experienced forward did find the net five minutes later, but his goal was disallowed for offside.

Young full-back Vurnon Anita went for the spectacular equalizer for Ajax with an ambitious shot from 20 metres out. However, Anita aimed wide and high and the shot was eventually destined for row Z.

The Amsterdam giants pushed all men forward in the last ten minutes of the game and Dennis Rommedahl should have equalized for Ajax. The quick winger got free inside the penalty area and sent in a shot which evaded Twente shot stopper Sander Boschker and pinged around until the ball finally rolled out of play.

Twente could have killed the game off after 88 minutes of play. They were three on two in the Ajax half and Stoch received the ball before he cut inside from the left wing. However, his shot only hit the side netting.

Stefan Coerts, Goal.com