Dramatic comeback for District Noord

A miraculous late recovery saw District Noord Amateur claim a 3-3 draw against Geyazan Amateur.

Thrilling finale
Gerard Molenaars' side looked dead and buried as they went into the half-time interval three goals down against their Azerbaijani opponents but manages to salvage a draw in with three goals in the final minutes at the Allgäustadion in Wangen.

Dazzling Ramazanov
Versatile forward Zaour Ramazanov had already given District Noord goalkeeper Henri van der Weide a scare with a 12th-minute free-kick which drifted just wide, before he supplied the opening goal for Geyazan in the 27th minute.

Close range
He cut in from the right flank, and laid the ball on for his tall striking partner Sanan Gurbanov to force the ball into the District Noord net. Ramazanov doubled his side's lead a minute later with a goal that was all his own, demonstrating his exceptional pace to speed down the left wing before cutting across the area and finishing to Van der Weide's left.

Second strike
The game looked to be over as a competition as Ramazanov accepted a ball from his striking partner in midfield, stormed past the last defender and beat Van der Weide, and he nearly earned a hat-trick as a free-kick in first-half added time cannoned back off the crossbar.

Height and power
However, Geyazan dropped the pace in the second half, and with a few strategic changes, District Noord's height and power began to show. Goalkeeper Samir Aliyev had just produced an excellent saveto deny Jasper van Buiten when he was beaten for the first time after 79 minutes.

Dramatic comeback
The Azeri goalkeeper came off his line to claim a lofted corner kick at the far post but missed allowing Reinier Carabain to head into an empty net. The Dutch side narrowed the gap further after 85 minutes as Henry Bierling produced a terrific long-range shot to beat Aliyev, and the revival was complete two minutes later as Bierling's corner was headed into the net by Carabain.

More drama
District Noord almost found a winner as Age Boersma headed across the face of goal in added time, and their was time for Ramazanov to show some more skill as he laid on a ball which substitute Shakir Mammadov could only strike wide.

Molenaars pleased
"I have to say I am pleased with the result because we were three zero down at half-time," said Molenaars after the game. "The second half was better and if it had gone on for another five minutes we would have won."