Ajax boost title hopes with vital victory

Ajax 3 – 0 FC Twente:

From Owain Thomas at the Amsterdam ArenA

Goals from three different players reinvigorated Ajax’s Eredivisie title challenge as they eventually eased to a comfortable win over FC Twente.

Demy De Zeeuw, Marko Pantelic and Dennis Rommedahl found the net, but it could have been so different had Twente taken any one of several glorious early chances.

Instead, De Zeeuw’s low skidding drive opened the scoring on 22 minutes, squeezing in at the far post, past a slow to react Sander Boschker in the visitor’s goal.

And Pantelic bundled in a second shortly before halftime after a beautiful swerving effort from captain Luis Suarez crashed against a post.

That gave Martin Jol’s team a commanding but scarcely deserved lead at the break, to which they added as Dennis Rommedahl lashed home to finish off a sustained spell of pressure fifteen minutes from time.

By now Ajax were in full cruise control and the influential Suarez should have already been on the scoresheet, but his effort was incorrectly ruled offside.

Wasted Chances

Steve McClaren’s side deserved that slice of luck, which otherwise appeared to desert them for much of the match as both goalkeeping and finishing let them down.

The former England manager was visibly frustrated throughout the contest, prowling around the coach's technical area and occassionally growling at his team, particularly after his side conceded the first goal at which point he felt they lost "control and belief."

"The first goal was crucial," McClaren said.

"We had some glorious chances. The way we played in the first 20 minutes until they scored the first goal was very very good, but they improved and we went down, which was disappointing.

"The game hinged on Ajax scoring goals fom nothing, which they did and we didn't, so we don't deserve to win the game," he added.

Indeed it was the visitors who had looked the more likely to score in the early going.
After Pantelic’s flick-on brought a sharp low save from Boschker just two minutes in, they dominated as Ajax’s defensive nerves were exposed.

However, both Blaise Nkufo and his strike partner Kenneth Perez twice failed to capitalize on defensive lapses, having been set free by incisive midfield passing.

Bryan Ruiz and Chelsea-loanee Miroslav Stoch looked particularly dangerous on the flanks, and their darting runs and nimble footwork continuted to trouble the Ajax backline throughout, but unfortunately for McClaren's men, the strike duo just couldn't find the target from those openings.

As so often happens though, Twente were left to rue those missed opportunities, although they did almost sneak a consolation at the death, but Perez’s curling free-kick smacked against a post and was cleared.

The victory pulled Ajax within six points of their second placed rivals and also avenged a 1-0 defeat in November, however they remain nine points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven.