Feyenoord ended their four-match winless streak by beating bottom side Heracles, but Robin van Persie faces a selection headache after three players were taken off with injuries.

Leo Sauer put Feyenoord ahead midway through the first half, after Ayase Ueda had had an earlier effort ruled out for handball.

Heracles drew level when Luka Kulenovic penalty, but Jordan Bos, who gave away the spot-kick, made amends before half-time before late goals by Anis Hadj-Moussa and Casper Tengstedt made the points safe.\

The result keeps Feyenoord two points ahead of Ajax in second place, but Van Persie lost Luciano Valente, Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Anel Ahmedhodzic to injury.

Defender Givairo Read was this week ruled out for two months after having to go off against Heerenveen two weeks ago, while midfielder Quinten Timber left the club for Olympique Marseille after a blazing row with the coach.

Ajax beat Volendam with two headed goals in the first half by Youri Baas, while PSV’s lead at the top was trimmed to 14 points after they drew 2-2 at home to 17th-placed NAC.

Obispo rescues PSV

Only an injury-time header by Armando Obispo saved Peter Bosz’s side from recording only their second home defeat of the season, after two defensive lapses by captain Jerdy Schouten allowed NAC to take a 2-1 lead at the end of the first half through Boy Kemper and Charles-Andreas Brym.

NEC Nijmegen kept themselves in the hunt for a Champions League place with a hard-fought win against PEC Zwolle, a result that leaves them two points behind Ajax with a game in hand.

Younes Namli found the net with a swerving shot from outside the area to give PEC a 14th-minute lead, but Koki Ogawa headed NEC level just before half-time before Tjaronn Chery tapped in the winner 12 minutes from the end.

Fortuna Sittard kept up their strong form since the winter break by coming from behind to inflict Groningen’s first defeat in six matches.

The northerners took an early lead in the Euroborg through Dies Janse, but Kaj Sierhuis equalised against his former club after just 12 minutes before Lance Duivesteijn nodded in a perfectly pitched cross by Ivo Pinto.

Telstar test AZ

AZ survived a testing first half at Telstar to come away with all three points thanks to Isak Jensen’s late strike, but only after the home side had missed a sackful of chances, the best of them falling to Milan Zonneveld, who fired over from close range with the goal gaping.

Utrecht suffered their fifth straight defeat in all competitions as they went down 1-0 to Sparta, with Shunsuke Mito scoring the winner in the seventh minute after breaking away from an Utrecht corner.

Coach Ron Jans dismissed talk after the match that he could be forced to quit before he retires at the end of the season: “It’s not in my hands, but I’m going to keep fighting,” he said.

Twente’s problems up front continued as they drew 0-0 at home to Excelsior, leaving them with just 12 goals from their 11 matches.

Results

Saturday

Ajax 2-0 Volendam

NEC Nijmegen 2-1 PEC Zwolle

PSV Eindhoven 2-2 NAC Breda

Twente Enschede 0-0 Excelsior

Sunday

Feyenoord 4-2 Heracles Almelo

Groningen 1-2 Fortuna Sittard

Telstar 0-1 AZ Alkmaar

Utrecht 0-1 Sparta Rotterdam

Postponed: Go Ahead Eagles v Heerenveen (to February 11)