Yibbi Jansen matchwinner in game with HDM

It was brand-new World Player of the Year Yibbi Jansen who provided the liberating 0-1 in the closing stages. The midfielder, who returned from Oman early this week with her individual award, pushed her eleventh penalty corner of the match in the 57th minute: 0-1.

SCHC, which entered The Hague without defenders Renée van Laarhoven and Lisa Post, had the best opportunities in a chance-less first half, but Jansen (from a penalty corner) and Xan de Waard (shot caught by Remmerswaal) could not break the score open.

There was also little spectacle in front of both goals in the second 15 minutes. Jansen shot wide and Maud van den Heuvel tipped a cross wide of the wrong side of the post. For its part, HDM hardly came close to SCHC goalkeeper Elodie Picard.

Picard prevents the 1-0

That changed after half-time, in a period in which the home team shrugged off the diffidence a bit more and increasingly advanced towards SCHC's circle. Sabine van den Eijnden had the 1-0 for HDM on her stick halfway through the third quarter, but her hard shot - after a fine pass from Sarah McAuley - was turned away by Picard.

With the clock as their biggest enemy, SCHC then doggedly hunted for the liberating 0-1. There were chances for Mette Winter, Pien Dicke and again Jansen, but a goal seemed to be out of SCHC's reach this evening. Until Jansen scored her tenth goal of the season three minutes before time.

SCHC now second

SCHC thus registered its eighth win of the season at the last minute and leapfrogged Amsterdam in the standings. Halfway through the league, Stichtsche occupies second place with 26 points, seven points less than leader Den Bosch, two more than Amsterdam and three more than number four Pinoké. HDM remains tenth with ten points from 11 games due to its seventh defeat of the season.