Heerenveen were able to build up a two-goal lead after keeper Brian Vandenbussche was shown red in the first half, but eventually succumbed to three NEC Nijmegen goals after the break to fall 3-2 at home on Sunday.

Michael Bradley went the full 90 minutes in defeat, narrowly missing out on his 14th league goal of the season close to halftime.

The hosts jumped in front after only two minutes when Daniel Pranjić's long free kick struck the frame and Roy Beerens was in the right place to half-volley the carom into the open net.

The Frisians were reduced to 10 men in the 23rd minute as Vandenbussche rushed outside of his area and intentionally handled the bouncing ball to halt a Jeremain Lens breakaway. 

Despite the misfortune, Heerenveen went up two only six minutes later when Geert Arend Roorda pounced on a loose ball to lash home from a sharp angle.

Bradley nearly made it three moments later, only to have his firm header from a Gianni Zuiverloon cross ricochet off the crossbar. Gerald Sibon then had a chance to do likewise after the interval, but nodded a pinpoint cross from the American directly at NEC keeper Gábor Babos.

Just past the hour, the visitors finally broke through when Jeremain Lens got loose in the box for a lefty finish.

Ten minutes later, after the hosts had missed a pair of good chances, Brett Holman leveled matters by slotting a nifty backheel through ball from Jhon van Beukering.

After stand-in Frisians netminder Ron van Dijk seemed to have saved a point with his big stop on Bas Sibum in the final moments, Youssef El-Akchaoui ensured that NEC would leave with all the spoils by blistering a stoppage time free kick past the keeper.

The loss dropped Heerenveen, who are now without a win in three games, to sixth place ahead of Saturday's trip to FC Twente.

Scoring
HEER - Roy Beerens 4 2'
HEER - Geert Arend Roorda 1 29'
NEC - Jeremain Lens 5 62'
NEC - Brett Holman 3 (Jhon van Beukering) 73'
NEC - Youssef El-Akchaoui 4 90'

Line-ups
HEER - Brian Vandenbussche; Gianni Zuiverloon, Michael Dingsdag, Henrico Drost, Michel Breuer, Geert Arend Roorda (Christian Grindheim 78'), Michael Bradley, Roy Beerens (Rob van Dijk 25'), Danijel Pranjić (Jakob Poulsen 70'), Miralem Sulejmani, Gerald Sibon

NEC - Gábor Babos; Muslu Nalbantoğlu (Dani Fernández 40'), Jonas Olsson, Rob Wisgerhof, Youssef El-Akchaoui, Bas Sibum, Brett Holman, Krisztián Vadócz, Jeremain Lens, Kevin Bobson, Jhon van Beukering