AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Riechedly Bazoer netted after just 25 seconds as Ajax Amsterdam secured a 1-0 home win over Vitesse Arnhem to maintain a comfortable lead in the Dutch league on Saturday. Ajax advanced to 47 points, six ahead of second placed PSV Eindhoven who play Twente Enschede on Sunday.
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Bazoer, who had been the subject of racist chanting away at ADO Den Haag last week that is being investigated by police, took advantage of a mistake by Vitesse goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Room failed to hold onto a high cross from Mitchell Dijks and allowed the ball to slip for the 19-year-old to tap home.
Ajax were unconvincing after that but still good enough to hold onto the lead and register their 15th win in 19 league games this season. Heracles Almelo moved back into fourth place — 14 points behind Ajax — with goals from Brahim Darri and Thomas Bruns in a 2-1 home win over bottom placed De Graafschap. Roda JC Kerkrade moved clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 victory at Excelsior Rotterdam. Hicham Faik scored seven minutes from time to end their five-month drought for a league win. Heerenveen conceded a first half penalty to Willem II Tilburg but stormed back in the second half to win 3-1. A trio of foreign imports — Arber Zeneli, Kenneth Otigba and Sam Larsson — scored to engineer the turn around.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
