Jong guns

Jong Ajax 2 - 0 Helmond Sport

April 21 2017, Sportcomplex De Toekomst

Dutchfootballtrip.com makes the occasional foray into the Erste (first, but actually second) divisie in the Netherlands, and for this season, this is it.

With matters tied up in terms of automatic promotion (VVV Venlo have won the league at a canter) this had a little bit of an after the Lord Mayor's about it, but Jong Ajax of course cannot be promoted. Nevertheless what is essentially an under-21s team has still finished in a clear second and put poor Helmond Sport away without really getting out of third gear.

Watching a team like Jong Ajax is all about talent spotting the next wonderkid off the Ajax production line.

Two of their most recent graduates were here tonight - Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van der Beek. Both look much younger than their tender years (de Ligt is 17 and van der Beek 20) when out on the park for Ajax 1, and both were besieged by kids wanting selfies and autographs for most of the game. Not a single kid was turned away and they were a credit to the clubs's development of them in their patience with the youngsters.

As for those turning out for Jong Ajax, Morroccan Abdelhak Nouri, Dutchman Pele Clement, Czech Vaclav Cerny and Columbian Mateo Cassierra all caught the eye, but then they've all had their turn with Ajax 1.

Cerny had a quiet night following his recent hattrick for Jong Ajax, but Nouri more or less ran the show, opening the scoring on 17 having put Jong Ajax's Noussair Mazraoui through. The Ajax 10 was flattened in the box and Nouri calmly dispatched the pen low and hard to the keeper's left, Helmond's custodian van Gassel diving the wrong wag.

Ajax won't have to look far for a replacement if Lasse Schone moves on next season. Nouri looks about ready, if a little lightweight.

Pele Clement then got in on the act, and registered on his third attempt from more or less the same spot on the left of the box on 38 with a lovely finish across van Gassel.

Effectively it was game over and for the 21 travelling Helmond fans, mystifyingly penned in to the far corner of the ground like southern lepers, must have pondered the point of it all. To add insult to injury there is no cover in that stand and it started raining.

The second half was a formality, with Cassierra going close from a corner with a header and a late free kick from Nouri grazing the post the main points of note.

The young guns look look ready to fire again next season.