Ajax sustain damage in Groningen
Sunday 25 January 2009
Ajax saw the gap with AZ Alkmaar
get three points bigger today as they lost 1-0 at the
hands of FC Groningen.
Danny Holla scored the only goal
of the game just before half-time with a powerful low
drive from some 20 meters out.
Ajax finished the game with 10
men after Jan Vertonghen got a second yellow 10 minutes
from the end.
Without the suspended Dario Cvitanich
Ajax had a lot of difficulties with the physical power
that Groningen have in all lines.
The Amsterdammers had more possession
and in the first half the corner stats read 0-7 for
Ajax, but it didn't lead to any decent chances for the
visitors.
Only when Gibril Sankoh lost a
ball in his own half could Ajax threaten the goal of
Luciano da Silva but Suarez was unable to benefit.
Groningen awaited their chances
and went a lot closer than Ajax did through Gonzalo
Garcia and Evgeniy Levchenko before Danny Holla opened
the score.
The goal came after a nice attack
down the left flank after which the ball was cut back
to Holla who lashed it home from a few meters outside
the box.
Chasing the equalizer Ajax had
even more possession than they already had before the
goal, but Groningen's defense were able to deal with
almost anything the men of Marco van Basten came up
with.
The best chance was for defender
Thomas Vermaelen.
After a corner the ball fell to
his feat but from perhaps six meters out and the goal
keeper beaten the Belgian hit the cross bar.
In the hectic last 15 minutes of
the game Vertonghen saw his second yellow for contesting
a decision of the linesman and in the aftermath Van
Basten was sent to the stands for entering the pitch.
Shortly after the double sending
off Lovre could have decided the game when he had the
chance to finish off a loose ball from 6 meters out,
but the Croataimed too high.
In the end the miss didnot turn
out costly as Ajax proved to be too hasty up front and
did not create any more chances.
With AZ beating De Graafschap the
gap between the team of Louis van Gaal has now grown
to six points and on top Twente are breathing down their
neck only one point behind them.
FC Groningen - Ajax 1-0
1-0 39' D. Holla
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