Ajax scored a late equaliser in a tempestuous contest with AZ to hold a six-point lead over PSV ahead of the clubs’ title clash in two weeks’ time.

The match left a sour taste in the mouth for AZ after Alexandre Penetra was sent off for a second yellow card in the second half, shortly after Ajax themselves had been reduced to 10 men.

Referee Denis Higler appeared to admit he had made a mistake when he told AZ defender Wouter Goes he was unable to reverse the decision, while video replays showed Penetra’s tackle on Brian Brobbey was not a foul.

Penetra was dismissed in the 75th minute, less than a minute after Ajax’s Anton Gaaei was shown a straight red card for a heavy challenge on Zico Buurmeester. Buurmeester had given AZ the lead in the 52nd minute before Gaaei equalised with a low diagonal strike six minutes later.

AZ went ahead again eight minutes from time when Ibrahim Sadiq headed in a corner, but a minute later goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro let Kenneth Taylor’s cross slip through his fingers and Oliver Edvardsen tapped the ball into the empty net.

Goes said the refereeing error had disrupted the match. “If you’re 2-1 ahead you should be winning here,” he told NOS. “But it’s difficult to stay focused after such a big mistake.”

Paixão treble

PSV, who host Ajax in the next round of fixtures on March 30, strolled to a routine win at RKC with a goal in the fourth minute by Ivan Perisic and further strikes by Noa Lang and Luuk de Jong.

Igor Paixäo scored the first hat-trick of his career as Feyenoord overwhelmed Twente to record their first win in Enschede for seven years.

The Brazilian’s first was a thunderbolt with his right foot after he latched on to a slack defensive pass by Mathias Kjølø to put Feyenoord 2-0 ahead in the 13th minute.

Ajase Ueda had headed the Rotterdammers into the lead four minutes earlier and added a third in the 23rd lead after being put clear by Paixão.

Paixão added two more early in the second half, both set up by Givairo Reid, before substitute Aymen Sliti scored a late sixth, while Twente had to console themselves with Sem Steijn’s 21st and 22nd goals of the season.

Utrecht setback

Feyenoord closed the gap on third-placed Utrecht to two points as NEC won 1-0 in the Galgenwaard with a late penalty by Vito van Crooij. Robin Roefs pulled off a magnificent save to deny Sébastian Haller an injury-time equaliser for Utrecht.

Bottom club Almere narrowed the gap on RKC at the bottom but remain 10 points from safety after drawing 1-1 with NAC, for whom Sydney van Hooijdonk scored his first goal since arriving in Breda in January. Charles-Andreas Brym equalised for Almere with a header straight from the restart.

Sparta drew 1-1 at home with PEC Zwolle as Tobias Lauritsen scored from point-blank range in the 51st minute, shortly after Olivier Aertssen had put PEC ahead.

The Rotterdammers moved a point ahead of Willem II, who came away from Deventer empty-handed after Milan Smit scored a late winner for Go Ahead Eagles.

A late poacher’s goal by Brynjolfur Willumsson was enough to earn Groningen the points against Fortuna Sittard, while Heerenveen and Heeracles shared the spoils as Marcus Lindsay equalised just before half-time for Heerenveen after Jizz Hornkamp had given the visitors the lead.

Results

Friday

Almere City 1-1 NAC Breda

Saturday

Heerenveen 1-1 Heracles Almelo

RKC Waalwijk 0-3 PSV Eindhoven

Sparta Rotterdam 1-1 PEC Zwolle

Utrecht 0-1 NEC Nijmegen

Sunday

Ajax 2-2 AZ Alkmaar

Go Ahead Eagles 1-0 Willem II Tilburg

Groningen 1-0 Fortuna Sittard

Twente Enschede 2-6 Feyenoord