Harlemsche Boys fell to Excelsior '31 by a solitary goal in the first preliminary round of the KNVB Cup on Tuesday evening. The match finished 0-1 after S. Holsink found the net in the eighty-fifth minute to settle what had been a tight encounter until that point.
For the hosts, this result adds to a mixed run of form. They lost 1-3 to Noordwijk in June, drew 2-2 with the same side four days earlier, and had previously beaten Merssen twice at home. The defeat to Achilles Veen in September 2024 remains their only other loss in that window.
Excelsior '31 came into the cup tie with uneven results of their own. A 1-5 hammering by XXC in August contrasted with a 5-1 victory over Flevo Boys the previous month. They had also drawn 2-2 with JDS Watergraafsmeer before edging them 1-0 in a repeat fixture.
The decisive moment arrived late. Holsink's strike in the eighty-fifth minute proved enough, breaking a pattern where neither side could find a breakthrough. By then, both teams had tested each other without success, and the goal shifted the balance entirely.
Without possession figures or shot counts available, the statistics tell a different story. One goal from what was likely more attempts suggests Harlemsche Boys gave up chances without capitalising themselves. The visitors found a way back into it when it mattered most.
The result leaves Excelsior '31 progressing in the competition while Harlemsche Boys face another cup exit. The hosts will need to regroup before their next fixture, knowing that late resilience was the difference on this occasion.