Mounir El Hamdaoui struck a hat-trick as AZ Alkmaar kept up their challenge for an automatic Europa League place with a thumping 6-2 win over bottom-club RKC Waalwijk. El Hamdaoui set the ball rolling after just 38 seconds and while RKC equalised through Benjamin De Ceulaer, the game was beyond doubt at half-time as AZ opened a 4-1 lead. Goals from Moussa Dembele, Hector Moreno and a second from Hamdaoui had done the damage before the break after which Jermanie Lens was also on target and Hamdaoui completed his treble. Derk Boerrigter grabbed a consolation goal for RKC with a superb free-kick in stoppage time. Groningen leapfrogged NAC Breda in the table with a comprehensive 3-0 success at the Rat Verlegh Stadion. Femi Ajilore did the damage with goals in the 31st and 45th minutes, leaving NAC with an uphill task in the second half. It got worse for the hosts, though, as Koen van de Laak added a third 10 minutes from time and Donny Gorter was dismissed four minutes later to add insult to injury. Utrecht kept themselves firmly in the race for a place in the Europa League play-offs thanks to Jacob Lensky's goal against VVV. Ton du Chatinier's side now move up to sixth in the Eredivisie table thanks to back-to-back victories while their hosts remain firmly ensconced in mid-table after suffering their third defeat on the trot. NEC Nijmegen were frustrated as Roda JC soaked up waves of pressure before securing a 2-0 smash-and-grab raid at De Goffert. Willem Janssen and Mads Junker scored against the run of play in either half as Roda pulled four points ahead of their opponents in the Eredivisie table.
