League Play-Off

Draaibrug Stadion
Spectators: 34 (Terracing: 26, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Jef Bender kicked off to start the match. If Jef Bender had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 3rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Ronald Tevreden fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 5th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Mathijs Themmen having to interfere. When Lucien Reints fell near the penalty area in the 10th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored Draaibrug's protests and gave Lucien Reints a yellow card for diving instead. In the 11th match minute, Draaibrug was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Lucien Reints to maneuver through the defense. Mathijs Themmen made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Jef Bender in the 12th minute of play. An unexpectedly hard shot by Jeroen Arnolds in the 13th minute of play forced FC Merevelders's goalkeeper Henk-Jan Iepstra to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. With a little luck, FC Merevelders's Henk-Jan Iepstra got control of the ball when Olaf Zegers tried to sneak it across the goal line. The audience thought a goal was coming when Olaf Zegers got free with Henk-Jan Iepstra in the 21st minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. In the 25th minute, FC Merevelders's goalie took a deep sigh of relief after Olaf Zegers fired away a hard shot that went just outside the left post. In the 27th minute Jef Bender shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Mathijs Themmen saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. When Geert Gasteren fell near the penalty area in the 28th minute he thought he would be awarded a free kick. The referee ignored FC Merevelders's protests and gave Geert Gasteren a yellow card for diving instead. 36 minutes into the game, Jurgen Crans was given a yellow card after he appeared to trip an opposing player. FC Merevelders's manager was livid on the sidelines, but the referee was unmoved and gave Draaibrug the free kick. Jurgen Crans hit a great freekick 36 minutes into the match. The first half was very even, with the score at 0-0 when the whistle went for half-time. The players welcomed the break and quickly retired to the dressing rooms.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Jeroen Arnolds stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. In the 53rd match minute, Draaibrug was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Adriaan Kiewit to maneuver through the defense. When Ronald Tevreden came up free with the goalie in the 55th minute, the FC Merevelders fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Ronald Tevreden couldn't finish the play. Jasper Themmen hit a great freekick 56 minutes into the match. Mathijs Themmen was a little too slow when Ralph Bruintjes got a fine hit on the ball which went right into the goal in the 59th minute. The score was now 0-1. 64 minutes into the match, Jef Bender notched a goal, 0-2, to the right of Draaibrug's Mathijs Themmen. Mathijs Themmen was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. After a rather tough play, FC Merevelders's Jurgen Crans got a free kick in the 70th minute. When Olaf Zegers came up free with the goalie in the 71st minute, the Draaibrug fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Olaf Zegers couldn't finish the play. Ronald Tevreden fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 76th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Mathijs Themmen having to interfere. When Jef Bender came up free with the goalie in the 78th minute, the FC Merevelders fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Jef Bender couldn't finish the play. Ralph Bruintjes received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 79th minute. Mathijs Themmen tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Draaibrug's Mathijs Themmen proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 81st minute of the match, managed to save Draaibrug from getting a goal against them. In the 85th minute, Jef Bender fired away a shot on goal. He put a little to much spin on the ball and sent it just wide of the right post. Jeroen Arnolds sent away a hard shot on goal in the 88th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Jef Bender did some fancy footwork in front of goal and succeeded to deceive the defenders so he could slam the ball in 0-3 to the left of a surprised Mathijs Themmen 90 minutes into the match. Henk-Jan Iepstra showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Jeroen Arnolds, who was totally free with the ball in the 94th minute. If Jef Bender had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 96th minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. 99 minutes into the match, FC Merevelders's goal looked a bit too open when Olaf Zegers came free, but Henk-Jan Iepstra reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. When the final whistle sounded FC Merevelders left the ground with the victory after a much better performance than Draaibrug.