Ajax extend lead in Dutch Eredivisie

Amsterdam:

Ajax destroyed relegation candidates Vitesse Arnhem 5-0 on Sunday to extend their lead in the Dutch premiership to 11 points with only eight games remaining. The title looks decided but the race for second and a Champions League qualifying berth hotted up as Feyenoord Rotterdam edged RKC Waalwijk 1-0 and improved to 49 points, just four behind second-placed PSV Eindhoven. At home in their ArenA Stadium in Amsterdam, Ajax took 16 minutes to draw first blood against Vitesse Arnhem. And it was a classic goal from the top drawer. Brazilian leftback Maxwell started a run from his own half, a well executed one-two exchange with Yanis Anastasiou followed and he was in the box with only the goalkeeper Jimmy van Fessem to beat. That was easily done and the ball found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Ajax's second was a superb strike from Wesley Sneijder. His seventh of the season was a stunning left-footed rocket of a shot from 30 metres out that beat van Fessem for pace and found the top corner. Nicolae Mitea made it 3-0 inside the half hour from a Van der Vaart corner. The deflection from the cross found Mitea whose mid-range shot found its way through a forest of defenders and crept over the line for Ajax's third just before the thirty-minute mark. On the resumption of play after the break, Vitesse still had no answers to Ajax's fluid and all-dominating play. But it still took the home side 16 minutes to score again - a Sneijder corner from the left side found the leaping figure of Dutch international defender John Heitinga who headed home the fourth. They almost immediately scored again - Sikora's shots palmed away by Fessen. Sneijder was again instrumental in the fifth, setting up substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic 10 minutes from time for the last goal of the match. The result extends Ajax's lead in the Eredivisie to 11 points over nearest rivals PSV Eindhoven with only eight games remaining. For poor Vitesse the 5-0 demolition keeps them well down the table and looking like candidates for relegation. They are currently three from bottom with 20 points. (AP)