De Graafschap edged a tense, scrappy contest at De Vijverberg on Friday night, beating FC Utrecht Youth 2-1 thanks to a late winner that sparked wild celebrations in Doetinchem.

The hosts had looked in control for long spells but were pegged back by a well-organised and courageous Utrecht youth side, who defended in numbers and threatened on the break. It took a moment of individual quality in the closing stages to separate the teams and hand De Graafschap a valuable three points.

Match overview

Playing in front of a typically vocal home support, De Graafschap started brightly and took the game to their opponents. Their wingers hugged the touchline to stretch the young Utrecht defence, and the early pressure told when Thijs Bakker converted from the edge of the area after a neat exchange on the left.

Rather than folding, however, Utrecht grew into the match. Their midfielders began to find pockets of space between the lines, and an equaliser arrived shortly before the half-hour mark through Nassim Ait-Kaci, who finished calmly after a quick turnover in the De Graafschap half.

Key moments

• 11 minutes: De Graafschap open the scoring. Thijs Bakker curls a low shot inside the far post after a slick one-two.
• 27 minutes: Utrecht level. Nassim Ait-Kaci pounces on a loose pass and finishes low past the goalkeeper.
• 62 minutes: A superb double save from the Utrecht keeper denies De Graafschap twice in the space of five seconds.
• 86 minutes: Sven Roelofs wins it, arriving late in the box to head home a deep cross and send De Vijverberg into raptures.

Tactical story

De Graafschap's challenge was unlocking a deep, disciplined block, and for 85 minutes they struggled to find the final pass. Their solution was persistence: relentless crossing, second balls won in midfield, and full-backs pushed high to create numerical superiority out wide.

Utrecht's approach was intelligent and brave. The visitors defended in a narrow 4-4-2 out of possession and looked to spring quick counters through their front two, and they executed that plan well enough to keep the game alive into the final ten minutes.

Standout players

Sven Roelofs took the headlines with the winning goal, capping an energetic all-round display in which he covered more ground than any other player on the pitch. Thijs Bakker was the creative spark throughout, while the home goalkeeper made one crucial stop at 1-1 that kept De Graafschap level.

For FC Utrecht Youth, Nassim Ait-Kaci was the standout, showing composure beyond his years in front of goal, and the young side's overall performance will have pleased their coaching staff despite the result.

What it means for the table

The win consolidates De Graafschap's position among the Eerste Divisie's promotion hopefuls and maintains their strong home record at De Vijverberg. Defeat is harsh on Utrecht Youth, who remain a competitive but inconsistent presence in the division as they continue to develop talent for the parent club.