FC Groningen secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory away at Telstar on Saturday evening. Dick Lukkien’s side took the lead in a strong first half through Dies Janse and sealed the win in the closing stages via Jorg Schreuders. This result keeps Groningen in tenth place and firmly in the race for the play-off spots, whilst Telstar remain just above the relegation zone in sixteenth place.
From the kick-off at Sportpark Schoonenberg, a lively contest unfolded, with both sides looking to attack. Telstar had slightly more possession in the early stages, but clear-cut chances were few and far between. FC Groningen made their first impact after ten minutes through Thom van Bergen, though this did not result in a goal.
After just under half an hour, Groningen created the first real danger of the match. Tygo Land struck a powerful shot from distance, but goalkeeper Ronald Koeman Jr. made a fine save. Moments later, Telstar were forced to make a substitution when Nökkvi Thórisson went off injured.
In the 32nd minute, Groningen finally broke the deadlock. A header from Dies Janse initially appeared to have been cleared off the line, but following VAR intervention, it was confirmed that the ball had fully crossed the line: 0-1. Shortly afterwards, Janse came close to scoring his second, but Koeman Jr. prevented further damage.
Telstar tried to fight back before half-time and had a good chance through Sem van Duijn following a sloppy loss of possession by Tika de Jonge. However, his effort went wide, meaning Groningen went into the dressing room with a lead. The game ebbed and flowed in the first half and provided plenty of entertainment.
After the break, the pattern of play remained the same, with chances at both ends. Groningen had opportunities to extend their lead through Younes Taha and Jorg Schreuders, but Koeman Jr. stood in the way on each occasion. At the other end, Van Duijn headed over from a corner.
Midway through the second half, Groningen failed to pull away decisively. First, Taha was denied by the goalkeeper once again, and Van Bergen couldn’t find the net from the rebound despite facing an open goal. Moments later, substitute Willumsson came close to making it 0-2, but Koeman Jr. kept his side in the game once more.
In the closing stages, Telstar threw everything at it and Vaessen was called upon to make a save from a shot by Brouwer. In injury time, Groningen sealed the win with a razor-sharp counter-attack. Van Bergen played the ball wide to Schreuders, who finished from close range: 0-2. With this, Lukkien’s side secured an important victory on a pitch where they had never previously managed to win at the top level.