PSV D2 raked in some very expensive points last Saturday. It wasn't easy, by the way. Only late in the second half Joey Konings gave PSV D2 the spoils with a brilliant and devastating shot (see the pictures!).
Once again, it was a game of 50 minutes of attacking and laboriously creating chances. The field (soaking wet), the weather (stormy wind and rain), the opponent (everything was geared towards not allowing any goals) and the referee (lots of whistles, even for minor fouls) did not exactly provide a good breeding ground for a good game. Excuses enough, therefore, to quickly forget this mediocre match and look ahead to the next important game. Because what are we talking about: eight points ahead of the number two (with one more game played though), 55 goals scored and only five goals against. No team at PSV has so few goals against! And yet last Saturday the crowd was left with the feeling that there could have been more. If you try to break down a wall of 11 players in the same way twice for 30 minutes and it has no result, perhaps you need to adjust your battle plan. Too much Saturday was focused on moving the ball forward quickly only to get bogged down in a yellow UNA wall. Sometimes you have to have the patience to strike like a predator.
You can't blame the opponent. They came to Eindhoven not to lose and for a long time they succeeded excellently. But again, if you notice that your tactics aren't working, you have to have the smarts to adjust them. That's something our guys still have to learn from time to time, and that will certainly happen.
Then, of course, we have to say something about the match itself. I didn't write much down (partly because of the bad weather), so it will be a short report.
We are writing the eighth minute when Ymanuel Hurkmans (who later drops out injured) on the right sends Mats Grotenbreg on an adventure. Mats passes the ball well to Matthias Verreth who, although he gets his foot to it, shoots just wide. PSV is constantly on the attack, but does not pay enough attention to the wind and the wet pitch; many balls are played too hard and roll over the back line, so the number of serious chances can be counted on one had. Not until the 19th minute is there any excitement again. Matthias sets Mink Peeters free who fires at the goalkeeper in one fluent move. However, the goalkeeper keeps the hard shot in check (like more shots that afternoon; the UNA goalkeeper was without exception the best on the pitch). After Mink's action, PSV entered a somewhat better phase. We note a good combination between Mats and Ymanuel which Mats shoots just wide, a deep pass from behind to Joey which Joey then passes well to Matthias and some small shooting chances for Giovanni Nicolaas and Ertem Bölükbas. It's not really dangerous and we end the first half with the note that we hardly had any chances and lack intelligence in the penalty area.
In the second half some fresh forces from the D3: Armando Obispo and Cody Gakpo. At least it makes for a slightly brighter start, but again the shortcoming is: the balls we deliver are too easy for the keeper. Chances are again for Ertem and Gio, for Twan Demin and also Zohair Labyad delivers a nice shot. And just as Ronnie starts talking about expensive losses (this is the 28th minute!), Joey takes a devastating shot from the penalty area. From a distance, the shot seems to fly over or at least hit the crossbar, but just as that threatens to happen, the wind gets a hold of the ball and it slams under the crossbar into the UNA goal. Goalkeeper hopeless, everyone delirious with joy and rightly so. The last few minutes UNA still attacks (I would have done that sooner, I think; now you stand empty-handed), but PSV is never in danger. The three points are in the bag. Still two games to go before the winter break and six points to be won. Next week against Roosendaal it will be a different game. Roosendaal has more attacking intentions than UNA and that might create more space for PSV to come up with a good attacking plan. Good luck men!