ХХК took all three points against Алмере II on Saturday, winning 2:1 in the Tweede Divisie. The hosts had already shown they meant business, with three victories from three games sitting them second in the table. Алмере II were struggling, still in 13th place after just one win from their opening three matches.
And here's the thing — the match turned on the first half. G. Zwikstra converted a penalty in the 15th minute, putting ХХК ahead. B. Huisman doubled the lead six minutes later, and the visitors never really recovered. By then, ХХК had already decided the tone of the afternoon.
Almere II pulled one back through M. Pouwels in the 73rd minute, ending their barren spell in front of goal. The visitors had dominated possession at 51 per cent and created 70 attacks to the hosts' 68, but those numbers meant little when the scoreboard read 2:1.
Coaches shuffled their decks regularly, with five substitutions between the 46th and 82nd minutes. T. Sopacua picked up a yellow card in stoppage time, but not enough to threaten the result. ХХК kept a clean sheet and held their nerve when Almere II pushed forward.
The statistics tell a story of chances gone begging. ХХК hit the target eight times compared to Almere II's six, yet only scored twice. The visitors had five shots off target and four offsides — they moved the ball well but lacked that final touch.
The result extends ХХК's perfect start and keeps them clear at the top of the early standings. Алмере II's defeat means they remain in the lower half, still searching for consistency after their 4:0 win over Рейнсбургсе Бойс on the opening weekend.