Willem II halt losing run after rapid-fire draw with PEC Zwolle

Willem II ended a run of six consecutive defeats by drawing 1-1 with PEC Zwolle in Tilburg. All the scoring came during a remarkable opening: Sydney van Hooijdonk put PEC ahead before Hidde ter Avest produced an immediate response for the home side.

Both goals had arrived after only two minutes and eight seconds. Van Hooijdonk caught Willem II goalkeeper Maxime Delanghe out for the opener, but Ter Avest quickly restored parity with a diagonal finish. It was an unexpected burst of attacking success, as Willem II and PEC had entered the game as the Eredivisie’s two lowest-scoring teams.

The frantic start was followed by no further goals, leaving bottom side Willem II with their first point after six losses. Their recent run had included a 6-1 defeat against SC Cambuur and a 7-0 loss to PSV.

Both clubs had already changed coaches following difficult starts to the season. PEC dismissed Henry van der Vegt after eight rounds and subsequently showed signs of improvement under interim coach Dennis van der Ree. Willem II parted company with John Stegeman one week later but had continued to struggle before stopping the losing sequence against PEC. According to NU.nl, the scoreline was the fastest 1-1 recorded in an Eredivisie match since 7 November 2015, when Willem II and Excelsior also exchanged first-minute goals.