Dutch Cup Round-Up

AZ Alkmaar cruised into the quarter-finals of the Dutch Cup, while NEC survived a scare to progress.

AZ Alkmaar cruised into the quarter-finals of the Dutch Cup, while NEC survived a scare to progress. Eredivisie leaders AZ proved too strong for minnows Achilles 29 running out 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Sebastien Pocognoli (11), Moussa Dembele (72) and Gill Swerts. FC Volendam left it late to overcome Excelsior Rotterdam with three goals in the last seven minutes from Jack Tuyp (83), Dominque van Dijk (90) and Melvin Platje (90) seeing them through. NEC Nijmegen came from behind to beat Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 with goals from Lasse Schone (36) and Jhon van Beukering (55) cancelling out Yuri Rose's early opener. Roda JC needed extra-time to see off lowly Lienden 2-0. Goals from Marcel De Jong (92) and Andres Oper (97) in the first half of extra-time were enough to send the Eredivisie side through. NAC Breda prevailed 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out to knock out FC Groningen after a 2-2 draw at the end of extra-time. Evgeni Levchenko sent the game into extra-time when he cancelled out Nourdin Boukhouri's 56th minute opener for NAC. Fouad Idabdelhay restored NAC's lead seven minutes into extra-time before Patrick Zwaanswijk saw red for the home side. Former Wigan man Andreas Granqvist forced the game into a penalty shoot-out with an equaliser five minutes from time. NAC kept their nerve in the shoot-out to go through 5-4.