Telstar claimed a vital point on the road at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Sunday. The Velsen-Zuid side played out a goalless draw with SC Heerenveen, resulting in the first 0-0 stalemate of the new Eredivisie campaign.
The match was a story of resilience for the visitors. Heerenveen applied pressure and registered 22 attempts, with six on target. Goalkeeper Ronald Koeman junior and his defence held firm, however. The home side's best chance came just before half-time when Dylan Vente headed a Vasilios Zagaritis cross just wide. Telstar managed twelve shots of their own, with Hardeveld firing over from around twenty yards in the 54th minute.
Organisation was the key to the point. Manager Andries Jonker saw his team remain compact and give away little space. There was late drama when Koeman junior and Vente collided heavily in added time. Both players required treatment but were able to continue. "It is the first goalless draw of the new Eredivisie season," the sports editorial team noted afterwards.
This result does not lift Telstar in the table but keeps them within touching distance of the teams above the relegation zone. The side sits in 13th place with five points from six matches. Their recent form of DLDLL shows there is work to do, but a point on the road is a step in the right direction. The full standings are available here.
Jonker introduced fresh legs early in the second half, bringing on Hristiyan Petrov for Sam Kersten.
The next assignment for Telstar is considerably tougher. This coming weekend the team travels to Alkmaar to face AZ, who are second in the table. Preparation for that match has already begun. The upcoming fixtures outline the challenges ahead. Telstar's squad, featuring players like Koeman junior and Petrov, can be viewed on the squad page.
First reported at AD.nl
