Excelsior '31 beat AFC '34 4:3 in the second preliminary round of the Dutch Cup on Tuesday evening. The match finished with a flurry of goals in stoppage time, with three goals coming after the hour mark. Both sides came out on top in different ways, but the home side held on for the win.
Excelsior '31 took the lead in the thirteenth minute through K. Peppels. AFC '34 responded quickly, equalising just two minutes later with a goal from S. Holsink. The home side went ahead again in the seventeenth minute, this time through H. Sprenkeling. J. Feijen doubled Excelsior '31's advantage before half-time, making it 40 minutes gone and the hosts leading 3:1.
The second half brought more drama. A goal in the fifty-third minute kept the contest alive. Then came the late chaos: another goal at 90+1 followed by yet another at 90+4. The final scoreline of 4:3 reflected a match where neither side gave anything away easily. Excelsior '31 held their nerve when it mattered most.
By then, the statistics told a familiar story. Excelsior '31 dominated possession at 65 per cent and registered 83 attacks compared to AFC '34's 61. Both teams earned five corners each. The home side picked up one yellow card while AFC '34 collected three. Shots on target were listed as zero for both sides, which says something about how this match was decided.
The result extends Excelsior '31's recent run of results. They beat Harchemse Boys 1:0 in their most recent outing on September first. Before that came mixed fortunes: a 1:2 loss to Emdijk, a heavy 1:5 defeat to HHC, and two draws with JOS Watergraafsmeer. AFC '34 came into this match on a high, having beaten Scherpenzeel 4:1 earlier this month.
What matters now is the progression. Excelsior '31 move forward in the Dutch Cup after a hard-fought victory. AFC '34's campaign ends here, despite showing they could score against anyone. The match will be remembered for the late goals, not the first forty minutes where the home side looked comfortable.
