Vitesse Arnhem are celebrating their first trophy in 125 years after beating AZ Alkmaar 2-0 in the KNVB cup final.

Two goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel broke the stubborn resistance of AZ, but it took until the 80^th minute for the breakthrough to happen.

Vitesse were the better side for most of the game and almost went ahead in the third minute when a free-kick by Derrick Luckassen struck the bar. But a series of missed chances and two clearances off the goal-line kept AZ in the game.

Van Wolfswinkel’s first goal came at the expense of goalkeeper Tim Krul, who held out his hands to collect a cross but failed to see the striker nipping in to head the ball past his fingers. Van Wolfswinkel sealed the win in the 88^th minute.

It was a personal triumph for the striker, who arrived for Vitesse at the start of the season after enduring a torrid three-year spell at English club Norwich City, scoring just once in 25 Premier League appearances. He now has a cup winner’s medal and 18 Eredivisie goals, three fewer than leading scorer, Feyenoord’s Nicolai Jørgensen.

The win also means Vitesse will go straight into the draw for the group phase of next season’s Europa League.

‘There was a fair amount of pressure,’ Van Wolfswinkel said after the game. ‘Not many of us had played a final before and on top of that, we knew we’d won nothing in 125 years.’

Despite the historic triumph manager Henk Fraser said he wanted to keep celebrations modest. ‘A little drink and then we need to try to finish fifth in the Eredivisie. That’s good for the club financially.’