TOP loses for the second time; no main division final for Arnemuidse korfball players | Team sports

On January 7, 2012, TOP Arnemuiden played the derby against Fortis. In Oost-Souburg, this first division match (!) ended in an 8-12. Erik Maljers was then the coach of the red-whites and Corné Bezemer and Jordi Meulmeester were still basic forces. It was on this day that the team last scored 12 goals in an indoor game – a very low number when you’re not facing wind and rain. This newspaper also wrote at the time that the supporters “returned home disappointed”.

Saturday night – more than ten years later – TOP achieved that meager twelve hits again. Unitas, the opponent in the second round of the play-offs, was close to the top in defense and the best was further at the TOP, which has been on the rubber for several weeks. The way Jurriaan Bouwens missed a penalty was perhaps telling; the ball came out of his hands very soft and did not even reach the bottom of the basket.

TOP lost 21-22 at home to Harderwijk on Tuesday. So there was still hope for a win at Harderwijk, which would force a third game. But once there, the team no longer reaches the top level. TOP still led 0-1 and 1-2, but then the guests lost the initiative. Until halftime (10-7) the difference was still small, but after that it widened. In the first twelve minutes of the second half, coach Edwin Coppoolse’s side didn’t even score at all.

After the score of 15-8 TOP did some rehabilitation. Substitute Sander Kloet, who made two more, made the result even more bearable.

Unitas can now go to the Main Division Finals, in which they will meet AW.DTV. This is the Amsterdam team in which TOP finished just above the group. The Arnemuidenaars can concentrate on the competition on the pitch. They will play next season indoors in the new intermediate class, the level below the Korfbal League. The target for 2022 has therefore been achieved.

TOP rating: Jurgen Janse 4, Anita de Ridder 3, Jurriaan Bouwens and Sander Kloet 2, Petra van Belzen 1.