NOS Football••Amended
View the summary of Heracles Almelo – FC Twente
FC Twente has won a tumultuous derby at Heracles Almelo in the Premier League: 0-2. The club from Enschede successfully defended its lead in the second half with ten men.
The visitors had the best start and rewarded themselves by taking the lead in the thirtieth minute through Thomas van den Belt. The midfielder headed home from a corner after the ball had accidentally ended up with him.
Emotions then flared, because corner taker Daan Rots made a provocative gesture towards the Heracles crowd after the 0-1.
Provocation leads to strikes
The supporters responded by throwing some plastic cups on the field and went completely crazy when Twente midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki got into a fight with a ball boy. He had pelted Zerrouki with a cup.
Referee Sander van der Eijk then decided to stop the game to let everyone cool down. The match resumed after about ten minutes.
Ball boy from Heracles throws a cup to Twente player Zerrouki
There was also plenty of commotion in Almelo in the second half. After 54 minutes, Twente further distanced itself from its rivals thanks to a penalty from Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
The visitors could not complain that referee Van der Eijk had put the ball on the spot after a hard shot by Van Wolfswinkel had slightly grazed Damon Mirani’s upper arm.
Questionable red card
Four minutes after the 0-2, FC Twente found itself with ten men because Zerrouki received a red card for a punching move.
The midfielder broke free from guard Ajdin Hrustic, who pulled Zerrouki’s shirt for a long time. Referee Van der Eijk gave Hrustic a yellow card, but to the surprise of many, Zerrouki was sent off the field.
“Scandalous, the same bullshit every time,” Twente coach John van den Brom grumbled about the red card for Zerrouki.
Striking movement earns Zerrouki a red card
Twente then remained relatively easy with ten players, although referee Van der Eijk was close to giving another penalty, this time for Heracles.
The referee needed a number of video replays to conclude that Hrustic had deliberately sought Robin Pröpper’s leg during his action: no penalty.
This meant that one moment could be crossed off in a match that was full of incidents.
