Three-pointer in the last home game of 2024
Fortuna Sittard recorded its fifth home win of the season on Saturday. They won 3-2 against RKC Waalwijk in the last home game of the year.
Before the start of the match, club icon Frans Körver, who died on Saturday at the age of 87, was commemorated with an impressive minute's silence.
Fortuna, which started in the same line-up as last week against Heracles Almelo, dominated from the kick-off. After 35 minutes of play, the score was 3-0. The first two hits in particular were of great beauty. After just under twenty minutes, Syb van Ottele sent Ezequiel Bullaude into the depth with a precise long ball. From the back line, the Argentinian midfielder produced a cross towards the first post with an utmost effort. Alessio da Cruz reacted attentively and shot the ball hard against the ropes: 1-0.
Ten minutes later, Fortuna doubled its lead, again Van Ottele was involved in the goal. He served Kristoffer Peterson with a beautiful crossball from the right side. The Swede, especially elusive for the RKC rearguard before half time, dribbled in in Robben-like fashion and produced a beautiful strike into the far corner. RKC goalkeeper Jeroen Houwen had no chance: 2-0. A few minutes later, the third Fortuna goal was a fact, a corner kick from Peterson ended up on Bullaude's head at the far post. This nodded in control: 3-0. Just before half time the guests did something back, after a corner kick Oskar Zawada beat the Fortuna defense with his head: 3-1.
Immediately after halftime, Fortuna had an excellent opportunity to decide the match definitively. Peterson released Bullaude for goalkeeper Jeroen Houwen with a smart pass. The RKC keeper made a competent save. The guests started the game better and were regularly threatening. After more than 65 minutes, the tension returned to the match, after an attack on the left side, a cross from Richonell Magaret landed on the head of the completely detached Zawada. He scored his second goal of the evening.
Shortly after the second goal, Ivo Pinto came on in an attempt to curb the attacking urge of the guests through the calm and insight of the Fortuna captain (he started on the bench because he was not fully fit). That worked well, but in the remainder of the second half the guests were no longer able to pose a real threat. Fortuna could have scored a fourth goal through Da Cruz, but Houwen saved from close range.
Two away matches are scheduled for next week, the cup match against Quick Boys on Tuesday and the match against FC Utrecht on Sunday.
Fortuna Sittard: Branderhorst, Mitrovic (68' Pinto), Guth, Van Ottele, Dijks (85' Dahlhaus), Rosier, Bastien, Halilovic (69' Aïko, 85' Erceq), Bullaude, Peterson (84' Michut), Da Cruz .