NEC Nijmegen maintained their strong start to the season with a 3-0 over NAC Breda to stay ahead of champions PSV on goal difference.

NEC were gifted the best possible start after three minutes when NAC goalkeeper Daniel Bielica slashed an attempted clearance into the path of the onrushing Tjaronn Chery, forcing Rio Hillen to foul the striker.

Bielica then compounded his error when he was caught off guard when Chery stroked the penalty into the bottom corner without taking a run-up. Basar Önal scored the second from a tight angle at the start of the second half before Vito van Crooy put away the third after good combination play by Chery and Virgil Misidjan.

Esmir Bajraktarevic came off the bench to score twice for PSV in the second half against Groningen, who had gone into the interval level after Brynjólfur Willumsson pounced on an error by Ryan Flamingo. Guus Til had opened the scoring in the 32nd minute when he squeezed the ball in while sitting on the ground, after his initial shot had come back off the post.

Ajax looked more convincing than in their opening two games as they condemned Heracles to a third successive defeat of the season in the Amsterdam Arena. Stand-in captain Steven Berghuis scored from a rebound after 30 minutes before Wout Weghorst smashed in Davy Klaassen’s cross three minutes from the end.

Applause for murder victim

The match featured a minute’s applause in the 17th minute for Lisa, a 17-year-old student and Ajax fan, who was murdered as she cycled home last Wednesday.

Telstar celebrated their first Eredivisie goal since April 1978 against Volendam when Soufiane Hetli steered in a low cross by Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp.

They looked set to celebrate their first win when Patrick Brouwer fired in a second before half-time, but two goals by new loan signing Anthony Descotte ensured Volendam came away from the fishermen’s derby with a share of the points.

Jensen strikes again

Victor Jensen kept up his hot scoring streak for Utrecht with two goals against Excelsior to take his total to eight in all competitions, while Souffian El Karouani was credited with three assists for Jensen, David Min and Miguel Rodriguez in a 4-1 win.

Twente got off the mark with a 2-1 win at Heerenveen, with Daan Rots scoring the first with a shot from outside the area. Naci Ünüvar added the second from a rebound six minutes before the end, while Vaclav Sejk’s late header was no more than a consolation for the Frisians.

Pelle Clement’s glorious toe-poke gave Sparta the lead against Go Ahead Eagles after Tobias Lauritsen played the striker in with a clever lay-off.

Lauritsen added a second after the break, before goalkeeper Joel Dommel denied Go Ahead’s captain Mats Deijl from the penalty spot. Defender Teo Quintero scored a third for the visitors after coming off the bench late in the game.

Results

Saturday

Go Ahead Eagles 0-3 Sparta Rottterdam

PSV Eindhoven 4-2 Groningen

Telstar 2-2 Volendam

Sunday

Ajax 2-0 Heracles Almelo

Heerenveen 1-2 Twente Enschede

NEC Nijmegen 3-0 NAC Breda

Utrecht 4-1 Excelsior

Postponed:

Feyenoord v Fortuna Sittard (September 17)

AZ Alkmaar v PEC Zwolle (September 24)