Relentless ADO Den Haag Cruise Past Dordrecht to Tighten Grip on Promotion Race
The autumn air in The Hague crackled with anticipation Friday evening, and by full time, the Bingoal Stadion faithful had witnessed another statement of intent from ADO Den Haag—a 3-0 victory over FC Dordrecht that underscored their ambitions and widened the gulf between pretenders and contenders in this season’s Eerste Divisie.
What had begun as a test of mettle between two of the division's most consistent performers unraveled into another showcase of Den Haag’s unfaltering collective drive. Dordrecht, arriving seventh in the table after an encouraging run of form, were made to look brittle under the relentless waves of Den Haag’s attack, especially in a second half that bristled with authority and clinical finishing.
The first half told a different story: two teams feeling each other out with cautious but enterprising play. Dordrecht’s disciplined back line, marshaled capably through the opening exchanges, managed to frustrate the hosts, who had been averaging over three goals per game in their past five outings. The visitors threatened on the break, their confidence buoyed by a recent five-match run that had yielded two wins, two draws, and only a single defeat. As halftime arrived with the score line unblemished, the match hung in a balance that hinted at a possible upset.
But balance soon turned to tipping point. Four minutes after the restart, ADO Den Haag’s patience bore fruit. The breakthrough—a close-range finish following a surging move down the right—ignited the stadium and proved the spark the hosts needed. Dordrecht, rattled by the sudden deficit, struggled to reassert themselves as Den Haag’s midfield seized control of the narrative.
Eight minutes later, it was 2-0. A sweeping, incisive move cut through Dordrecht’s defensive ranks, ending with another composed finish that laid bare the gulf in execution between the two sides. The quick-fire double not only dented Dordrecht’s resolve but effectively extinguished their hopes of a comeback. The scoreboard reflected a script written countless times this season: Den Haag, efficient and ruthless, finding another gear when it mattered.
With the visitors stretched and searching for a foothold, Den Haag’s Jari Vlak—a recurrent protagonist in recent weeks—put the tie beyond doubt on the cusp of stoppage time. Pouncing on a loose ball at the top of the box, Vlak rifled a low shot into the corner, notching his third goal in two matches and sending the home crowd into raucous celebration. The 90th-minute dagger was the perfect coda to a performance that had only grown in assurance as the night wore on.
Vlak’s late strike punctuates a run of red-hot form for the former Volendam midfielder, who scored twice against FC OSS in the previous round and now stands as one of Den Haag’s pivotal figures in their promotion charge. Around him, the supporting cast—featuring the likes of Luka Reischl, Jesse Bal, and the ever-industrious Cameron Peupion—once again illustrated the depth and resilience that have become the team’s calling card.
For Dordrecht, the defeat is a reminder of the gap still to be closed if they are to challenge the division’s elite. Their recent surge—highlighted by a 2-0 win over VVV Venlo and a resolute draw at Eindhoven—had pushed them into legitimate playoff contention, but the chasm in quality here was undeniable. Their defense, which had conceded just four times in their previous five games, was breached almost at will after the interval, and their attack, so often spirited, was muted by the hosts’ high press and compact structure.
No red cards marred the contest, but there were cautions—most notably to Dordrecht’s Sem Valk, whose frustration was plain as Den Haag repeatedly forced turnovers in midfield. The visitors tried to inject life in the final quarter-hour with a flurry of substitutions, but the damage had been done.
With this result, ADO Den Haag tighten their grip on second place, keeping pace with leaders SC Cambuur and stretching their unbeaten start to an imposing 10 matches (8 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses). Their goal difference—now a commanding +23—is both testament and warning to the rest of the division.
Dordrecht, meanwhile, remain seventh on 16 points. The loss halts the momentum that had seen them take points from four of their last five, but with just two defeats in ten, their campaign is far from derailed. Still, the evidence on display suggests that while their foundation is solid, the ceiling for this group may yet depend on finding a sharper edge in both penalty areas.
For Den Haag, the horizon is gilded: another dominant performance, another clean sheet, another message sent to the rest of the Eerste Divisie. Their pursuit of a return to Eredivisie football grows more credible by the week. For Dordrecht, tonight’s setback is a lesson delivered by the league’s standard-bearers—a lesson they must absorb quickly, with the playoff race set to intensify as autumn deepens.
The return fixture in Dordrecht now looms, a chance for redemption, but also a reminder: in this season’s promotion battle, the margin for error is swiftly closing.