Red-hot Heerenveen won for the eighth time in nine games by playing rude NAC guests, while Charles Kazlauskas scored again as TOP Oss climbed near the top of the period standings with a win.

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5-STAR FRISIANS BOMB NAC
Heerenveen slid into third place by virtue of a stunning 5-1 triumph at NAC Breda on Saturday evening.

Michael Bradley went the distance in midfield, as has become customary.

After a quiet opening phase, the visitors had the first prime scoring chance. In the 20th minute, Miralem Sulejmani ran onto a Jakob Poulsen centering feed, only to sky over from close range.

Four minutes later, Heerenveen would find the icebreaker from another Poulsen serve. The Dane curled in a free kick from the left and Gerald Sibon rose highest to nod home at the far post.

Away keeper Brian Vandenbussche preserved the lead into halftime by turning away a 45th minute effort by Ghana striker Matthew Amoah.

After the break, the floodgates opened as Heerenveen stretching their lead with a pair of twin strikes. In the 50th minute, Sulejmani atoned for his earlier miss by collecting a Poulsen pass and fighting off NAC defender Kurt Elshot to slot past Jelle ten Rouwelaar.

Shortly thereafter, Sibon bagged his second of the game when Ten Rouwelaar failed to hold his low free kick. The netminder bobbled the shot and the spin of the ball carried it over the line.

In the 68th minute, substitute Paulo Henrique hit his first goal for the Frisians. Rob Penders misplayed a Danijel Pranjic cross and the deflection fell straight to the waiting Brazilian, who headed in from the doorstep.

Only four minutes later, the newcomer had his second after racing onto a Pranjic lead pass to round the keeper and roll home.

NAC would pull one back with 15 minutes remaining thanks to a Gert-Jan Tamerus free kick, but it was too little and too late.

Having played one more game, Heerenveen now stand two points behind first place Ajax ahead of next Saturday's visit from FC Twente.

Scoring
HEER - Gerald Sibon 6 (Jakob Poulsen) 24'
HEER - Miralem Sulejmani 4 (Jakob Poulsen) 50'
HEER - Gerald Sibon 7 55'
HEER - Paulo Henrique 1 68'
HEER - Paulo Henrique 2 73'
NAC - Gert-Jan Tamerus 1 75'

Line-ups
NAC - Jelle ten Rouwelaar; Kurt Elshot, Rob Penders, Patrick Zwaanswijk, Patrick Mtiliga, Ronnie Stam, Csaba Fehér (Gert-Jan Tamerus 59'), Sander van Gessel (Tim Gilissen 75'), Anthony Lurling (Ahmed Ammi 40'), Matthew Amoah, Jonas Kolkka

HEER - Brian Vandenbussche; Gianni Zuiverloon (Calvin Jong-A-Pin 34'), Kristian Bak-Nielsen (Henrico Drost 71'), Michael Dingsdag, Michel Breuer, Jakob Poulsen, Thomas Prager, Michael Bradley, Danijel Pranjic, Gerald Sibon, Miralem Sulejmani (Paulo Henrique 61')

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LATE STRIKES LIFT TOP
TOP Oss moved up to second in the current period standings on the strength of a 2-0 victory over visiting Fortuna Sittard on Friday night.

Charles Kazlauskas put in a Man of the Match performance at right back, scoring his third goal in as many matches to seal the deal.

Fortuna enjoyed a good share of possession in the first half, but were unable to create any real danger.

TOP nearly took the lead just after the break, but Eric Quekel failed to put his chip shot on target after latching onto a Niek Ripson long ball.

Kazlauskas compelled an opportunity at each end; his weak clearance was somehow fired over by Fortuna youngster Ruud Boymans, then Quekel put his effort wide after a knockdown set-up from the American.

The home side finally broke through with 13 minutes left on the clock when sub Tony de Groot kissed home a Mike Thijssen cross from the right.

After TOP keeper Wilko de Vogt made a stop on Danny Schreurs, Kazlauskas put himself back on the highlight reel with a last minute capper. The American ran onto Davy Zafarin's lob feed, lifted the ball over advancing Fortuna goaltender Arjan Christiansen and nudged it into the open net.

For the season, TOP stand 12th, but are now only two points shy of seventh place in a tightly packed mid-table.

The men from Oss are also second behind period leaders Stormvogels Telstar, who they will visit on the final day of this season segment - but they must first make the trip to Zuiderpark to face ADO Den Haag on Friday.

Scoring
TOP - Tony de Groot 3 (Mike Thijssen) 77'
TOP - Charles Kazlauskas 4 90'

TOP - Wilko de Vogt; Charles Kazlauskas, Leon van Dalen, Niek Ripson, Bart van Hintum, Dirk Schoofs, Mike Thijssen (Tony de Groot 67'), Revy Rosalia (Yvo van Engelen 46'), Dave Zafarin, Erik Quekel (Regilio Jacobs 79'), Erik van der Ven

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