The 6th league round already this weekend. With as opponent Fc Utrecht. A mid-table team, but that also has to do with the fact that they still have a game to catch up on. The league table has Feyenoord loose with 13 points, followed by 5 teams with 9 points. Of these five teams, Heerenveen also has a game to play ("coincidentally against Utrecht...").

PSV also belongs to those 5 teams who together are tied for second place. Their goal difference says it all: together with Feyenoord they have scored the most goals (great!). But apart from Vitesse and red lamarder NAC, the team has also had to concede the most goals against (point for improvement!).

As part of his course, Joonas Kolkka did the coaching today and the Finn had a fit group at his disposal. A group that had to try to erase last week's defeat against Vitesse. And it started energetically. Already in the first minute captain Damian Timan was close to the opening goal when his free kick (after a Utrecht handsball close to the 16 meters) went just over.

PSV could not follow up the strong start. The game became increasingly messy. Both teams got chances, but no goals were scored. Yorbe Vertessen came very close when he was sent off by Dennis Vos. But because he just did not get his passes out, he could not give his shot enough momentum.

After also having threatened several times, Fc Utrecht took the lead in the 26th minute. A high ball was deflected away by goalkeeper Victor Camps, but he collided with defender Shurandy Sambo. Both were left lying, after which it was a piece of cake for a Utrecht player to slide the ball into the vacant goal: 0-1.

With this score both teams went to the dressing rooms. PSV had to step up their game if they wanted to keep the three points in Eindhoven.

Coach Joonas' pep talk seemed to have an effect, because in the 37th minute Yorbe came close to an equalizer. Shurandy opened with a great long ball to Yorbe who unfortunately saw his shot go wide. A minute later, however, the 1-1 came on the scoreboard. Mo Ihattaren played the ball through to Damian, who calmly and easily outsmarted the goalkeeper.

After Mo saw his shot go wide, PSV got off to a terrible start after 3 quarters of an hour when Victor misjudged a high flank ball and a Utrecht striker had the chance to put the Fc back in the lead. Miraculously the ball went wide and there PSV swooned tremendously.

In the 51st minute, both teams were close to the lead. First, PSV mounted a good attack in which right back Mees Kreekels stepped up and released a fine cross that landed on Mathijs Bel's chest. Mathijs technically laid the ball perfectly poised for .....helaas not a PSV player and not for himself either...The attack that followed saw the speedy Utrecht striker go close to scoring the 1-2.

With almost fifteen minutes left to play, Damian had another free kick. The goalkeeper cleared Damian's shot out of the goal and PSV only got a corner. This was kicked by Mo and landed exactly on the head of Mathijs who simply headed in: 2-1.

A minute later PSV almost extended the lead. But Yorbe hit the Utrecht goalie in the short corner.

In the closing stages the game went up and down. Finally it was the right back Mees Kreekels who finished off a cross from Mo and made it 3-1.

A nice and good (based on the 2nd half) victory for PSV with 3 goal scorers and 3 assists from Mo Ihattaren. And the 3rd time in a row that the final score was 3-1.


Victor Camps; Mees Kreekels, Shurandy Sambo, Elgero King, Jochem van Dijk; Mathijs Bel, Dennis Vos, Damian Timan (c) (57' Beslan Sagov); Mo Ihattaren, Yorbe Vertessen (69' Lars Koolen), Thijs Martens (47' Dani Mathieu).