Pinoké still winless, Rotterdam lose again

Amsterdam – HDM 4–1

Amsterdam remain top of the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse after five rounds without dropping a single point. This time, HDM returned home empty-handed. Five minutes before half-time, the Amsterdam side took the lead through a goal from Duco Telgenkamp. After the break, Floris Middendorp was prolific and converted a penalty stroke. In between, Guus van den Boezem had made it 2–1. This was Amsterdam’s seventh league win in a row, meaning the team is now unbeaten in eight matches. HDM have been waiting for a win in their last six away matches.

Kampong – Rotterdam 5–3

Reigning national champions Rotterdam suffered their fourth defeat in five league matches. At the Klapperboom in Utrecht, Kampong proved too strong, winning 5-3. After Joaquin Menini opened the scoring for the visitors, Finn van Bijnen equalised immediately, after which the home side extended their lead to 3-1 before half-time. Shortly after the break, Jip Janssen made it 4-1 from a penalty corner. Pepijn van der Heijden reduced the deficit from a penalty corner. Terrance Pieters then restored the three-goal margin. Guus Jansen ultimately sealed the final score at 5–3. Kampong recorded their fourth consecutive home win and remain unbeaten this season. Rotterdam returned home empty-handed for the third consecutive away match.

SCHC – Pinoké 3–3

Pinoké are still waiting for their first win of the season. Away at newly promoted SCHC, Pinoké were held to a 3-3 draw. It was Marlon Landbrug who dealt a blow to his former side by scoring just before the final whistle, thereby denying Pinoké the chance of their first victory. The visitors had travelled to Bilthoven without the club’s top scorer, Joep Troost, who was suffering from minor ailments, and without striker Boris Aardenburg, who had been ill.

At half-time, Pinoké led 0–1 thanks to a goal from Indra Aerts after nine minutes. Shortly after the break, SCHC turned the deficit around thanks to goals from Casper Hafkamp and Olaf van Staa, both from penalty corners. Miles Bukkens levelled the score for Pinoké, after which Florant van Aubel seemed to have secured Pinoké’s first win of the season with nine minutes remaining. Ultimately, it was Landbrug who prevented his former teammates from walking away with the victory.

Never before have the Steekneuzen had to wait so long for their first win since the start of the league season. Pinoké remain tenth in the table. SCHC moved up to seventh place.

Bloemendaal – Klein Zwitserland 3–2

In a match that came alive after half-time with five goals and three yellow cards, Bloemendaal came out on top. It was the home side’s third win in a row, meaning Bloemendaal are now unbeaten in nine league matches in a row.

Four minutes after the break, Klein Zwitserland took the lead. A loss of possession in defence led to Willem van Campen’s goal. The joy over the opening goal was short-lived. At the other end, Aki Käppeler slipped, allowing Bloemendaal to break away with the ball. Eventually, Pere Amat tapped in the equaliser at the far post. A yellow card for Casper van der Veen proved costly for Bloemendaal. Down to ten men, the home side conceded a second goal to Klein Zwitserland, scored by Sam Lane. The 2–2 equaliser came in the fourth quarter from Teun Beins’ stick. He swept a penalty corner variation into the net. At that point, Bloemendaal were once again a man down following a yellow card for coach Michel van den Heuvel.

Just before the final whistle, Bloemendaal sealed the match. Arno van Dessel outmanoeuvred his opponent on the goal line following a run down the left, thereby securing victory for the home side.

Den Bosch – Schaerweijde 3–1

Following two heavy defeats against Bloemendaal (9-1) and Amsterdam (8-0), last season’s head-to-head matches against Den Bosch offered little cause for optimism for Schaerweijde. The Den Bosch side scored no fewer than seventeen goals in the two encounters (9-0 and 8-1). Eight of the seventeen goals came from Timo Boers’ stick.

Boers found the net again this time too. Towards the end of the first quarter, he put the home side ahead with a penalty stroke. This time, however, there was no massive scoreline. After Quinten Mooijen’s equaliser shortly after half-time, Thierry Brinkman sealed the victory for the still-unbeaten Den Bosch with two goals in the final quarter. Despite the defeat, Schaerweijde handed over last place in the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse to Tilburg. The team from Zeist lost their last six league matches.

Tilburg – Oranje-Rood 1–7

In the Brabant derby, Oranje-Rood recorded their second-biggest away win in the Staatsloterij Hoofdklasse. Newly promoted Tilburg were handed a 7-1 defeat.

The club’s top scorer, Struan Walker, scored three goals, taking his season tally to seven. Borja Lacalle, who scored twice, Florian Gosselink and Victor Foubert were prolific for the Eindhoven side. Noud Borsten scored an own goal from a penalty corner.

The heavy defeat saw Tilburg slip to bottom of the table. Oranje-Rood are now unbeaten in 29 league matches and have gone 14 away matches in a row without defeat.