Fortuna gets too little in Tilburg with a draw
Fortuna retained one point from the away match against Willem II on Sunday afternoon: 0-0. For the fourth time in this young season, Danny Buijs' team did not concede a goal. Yet afterwards the feeling prevailed that there could have been much more to it, Fortuna was the most threatening in an attacking sense and was the team that had the best claim to victory. It was significant that goalkeeper Thomas Didillon-Hödl was named 'Man of the Match'.
Fortuna started the match against Willem II with the same team that had won the match against AZ prior to the international break. Willem II had difficulty throughout the match with the corner kicks taken by Alen Halilovic or Samuel Bastien, in the opening phase Shawn Adewoye and Rodrigo Guth were close to a goal from a standard situation. Willem II, already victorious at home against RKC and Go Ahead Eagles, had little to offer in attacking terms. Only Cisse Sandra threatened twice around the half hour mark, but Fortuna goalkeeper Mattijs Branderhorst did not have to take action. The biggest chance was again for Fortuna in the last fifteen minutes of the first half, after a quick counter-attack Halilovic was released for goalkeeper Didillon-Hödl. The midfielder tried to cross the ball over the goalkeeper, but the goalie reflexively prevented a goal. Nine minutes before half-time, a situation that gave rise to much discussion. Didillon-Hödl committed a foul on Makan Aïko outside his penalty area, and the 545 supporters in the away section also waited anxiously to see what color card referee Rob Dieperink would give. It eventually turned yellow, allowing the Tilburg team to continue the match with eleven players.
The same game pattern in the second half, Willem II often left the ball to Fortuna in its own stadium. The home club had one real chance in the second half, soon after the break Kyan Vaesen headed the ball onto the top of the crossbar. Once again Fortuna was dangerous through a number of corner kicks, but it was always 'just not'. In the final phase, Kristoffer Peterson and Alessio da Cruz were brought in, Da Cruz's first minutes in this competition after his annoying foot injury that kept him sidelined for months. Ante Erceq also got playing minutes, he was close to the winning goal twice. A shot from the Croatian striker was stopped with difficulty by Didillon-Hödl, but moments later the goalkeeper went under a high ball. However, Erceq's header went wide of the goal, meaning Fortuna ultimately had to settle for a draw.
Next Saturday, Fortuna will play its home match against FC Groningen.
Fortuna Sittard: Branderhorst, Pinto, Guth, Adewoye, Dahlhaus, Rosier, Bastien (82’ Da Cruz), Fosso, Halilovic (82’ Van Ottele), Aïko (71’ Erceq), Bullaude (70’ Peterson)