Willem II suffered a sensitive defeat on Wednesday in the battle to maintain their position in the Eredivisie. The Tilburg team lost 2-1 to FC Dordrecht in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals.
Dordrecht had a flying start at the Krommedijk. Devi Haen headed the 1-0 into the corner after eighteen minutes, following a cross from Jari Schuurman. Standout Schuurman was also at the basis of the 2-0 from Sem Valk shortly after.
Thus, Willem II had its hands full with the number five of the past Keuken Kampioen Divisie season. The Tilburg team of interim coach Kristof Aelbrecht started the match knowing that nine Eredivisie teams in a row had been relegated via the play-offs.
Before halftime, Willem II did something in return. Ringo Meerveld stayed cool in the penalty area of FC Dordrecht, sent two defenders into the woods, and shot the ball into the corner: 2-1.
After the break, Willem II went in search of the equalizer. It seemed to fall a few minutes before the final whistle, when the ball ended up at the feet of Jeremy Bokila after a scrimmage. But the Congolese international did not have his sights set sharply. It remained 2-1.
The return match in Tilburg is scheduled for Saturday at 8:00 PM. The winner of the two-part match will face the winner of the two-part match between FC Den Bosch and Telstar in the play-off final. The first leg between these two teams ended in a 0-0 draw on Tuesday.