FC Utrecht grabbed their first Vriendenloterij Eredivisie win of the season on Sunday in dramatic fashion. Dani de Wit was the hero in the 93rd minute, lifting a deft chip over Excelsior goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel for 1-2.
Utrecht, still chasing their first victory, started brightly and hit the post through Adrian Blake in the second minute. Excelsior responded with chances for Ágúst Thorsteinsson and Aymen Sliti, but the home side could not find a goal.
FC Utrecht made the breakthrough late in the first half. Stepanov fired in from close range to the delight of the travelling fans. Excelsior took a hit and could not respond before the break.
After an hour, Anthony Correia turned to his bench. Sem van Duijn and Yoann Cathline were among those sent on, while Davy van den Berg dragged a shot just wide for the visitors.
Still Excelsior kept coming and got their reward in the 76th minute. The lively Sliti got across his man to meet a cross from the right and beat Vasilios Barkas with a low finish from a difficult angle. The scorer celebrated wildly.
With belief growing, the Rotterdam side pushed for all three points at home and kept piling pressure on FC Utrecht. De Wit had the final say, though, dinking the ball over Van Gassel in stoppage time and leaving the home side stunned.
That made it a bitter blow for Excelsior after their spirited fightback. FC Utrecht celebrate and travel to Feyenoord next week.