Netherlands round-up: Sparta go down again

Sparta Rotterdam’s miserable season continued with a deflating 4-2 defeat at FC Utrecht.

Sell-out crowd
Sparta twice pulled level with the hosts on Friday night but could not hang on for a priceless point in front of a sell-out crowd. Dirk Kuyt put the home side ahead in the 22nd minute, with Stijn Vreven crossing perfectly for the striker to head into the top right corner. Vreven then turned villain as he blasted a clearance into his own net two minutes later.

Back on terms
Second-from-bottom Sparta were then caught napping just before the break when Vreven lashed home from a Tom van Mol cross. The visitors equalised again in the 57th minute goal from Michel Langerak.

Sparta finished off
But the Rotterdam-club's joy did not last long as Igor Glusevic put Utrecht 3-2 in front with a classic headed goal in the 64th minute after Dave van den Bergh's pinpoint left-wing cross. The home side finished Sparta off in the 73rd minute when another cross from the left by Van den Bergh reached Arco Jochemsen, who fired a powerful shot into the bottom right corner from around the penalty spot.