Late drama in Sittard all but seals Feyenoord's Champions League ticket
Following the slip ups by competitors NEC and Ajax on Saturday, Feyenoord had the opportunity to land a knockout punch in the race for second position, since a success would grant them margins of five and six points before the concluding two fixtures. Coach Robin van Persie selected the identical lineup of 11 players from the 3-1 victory against FC Groningen, which meant deploying Tobias van den Elshout along the left side, Gernot Trauner centrally at the back, plus the central engine room combination of Oussama Targhalline and Thijs Kraaijeveld.
The Eredivisie's leading goal getter Ayase Ueda received his opening opportunity 12 minutes from the start, yet he sent the ball soaring well beyond Mark Branderhorst's crossbar.
Fortuna supporters were on the verge of erupting in joy when their team seemed set to go ahead after 17 minutes, as Kaj Sierhuis and Lance Duijvestijn broke clear of Feyenoord's rear guard, although Duijvestijn managed just to clip the woodwork.
Feyenoord controlled proceedings during the initial 25 minutes and nearly notched twice additionally, however Luciante Valente's attempt into an abandoned net got stopped, while Oussama Targhalline's chase up shot cleared the target, so they ended up with nothing despite their solid start.
Kaj Sierhuis, the ex Ajax forward, provided enormous help to his previous team just six minutes after halftime, rising above Trauner and Watanabe to direct a header that put Fortuna ahead.
As the minutes dwindled for a lacklustre Feyenoord outfit, Ueda earned another major shooting prospect, but he overpowered it once more, launching the sphere above Branderhorst's upright with 15 minutes still left.
Feyenoord gained a vital boost with 10 minutes of normal time remaining when Fortuna Sittard replacement forward Paul Gladon picked up a straight dismissal for driving his cleats into Matthijs Branderhorst, thereby leaving the home side short handed in the closing phase.
The scoring Japanese figure for Feyenoord in the 84th minute turned out not to be the regular one, since Ayase Ueda's downward header got clutched by Branderhorst, but defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe stayed alert for the loose ball near the far upright, buying Feyenoord additional time to chase a draw.
The exciting turnaround reached its conclusion in the 90th minute via Givairo Read's strike from afar, which caught a significant deviation and looped directly above Branderhorst's reach.
Feyenoord's narrow triumph in Sittard essentially locks in their entry to the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming campaign, leaving NEC and Ajax five and six points adrift respectively as the Eredivisie enters its last pair of matches.