Kuyt hits target again as Feyenoord go back to second

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dirk Kuyt's impressive scoring form continued for Feyenoord on Sunday as the Rotterdam club beat Heracles Almelo 3-0 at home to return to second place in the Dutch league standings. Feyenoord moved to 35 points, still three behind leaders Ajax Amsterdam, who won on Saturday, but now a point ahead of champions PSV Eindhoven, who had also secured a three-point haul on Saturday. The 35-year-old Kuyt, back this season at his first club after moving from Fenerbahce in Turkey, increased his league tally to 12 goals, one behind leading scorer Luuk de Jong, of PSV. Kuyt scored Feyenoord's second goal after Eljero Elia had handed them a first-half lead.

(Reuters)

The other goal came from Michiel Kramer just before the final whistle as Heracles finished with only 10 men following Ramon Zomer's dismissal eight minutes from time. Heracles stay fourth on 26 points with Groningen, who drew 0-0 at Roda JC Kerkrade, moving to fifth on 25 points. PEC Zwolle missed their chance to move into the top six after squandering a 2-0 lead away at NEC Nijmegen.

Nijmegen fought back to earn a 2-2 draw with second-half goals from Janio Bikel and Anthony Libombe cancelling out PEC's two-goal halftime lead earned by Australian Trent Sainsbury and Lars Veldwijk.

Defender Guus Joppen headed home from a freekick to put Willem II Tilburg ahead against SC Cambuur, a lead consolidated by two late efforts from Erik Falkenburg and Stijn Wuytens in a 3-0 win. After 15 matches this season, Cambuur are still to win a game and lie second from bottom.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ian Chadband)