Edouard Duplan's brace helped FC Utrecht overcome AZ 3-0 at the AFAS Stadion this evening to climb into the top half of the Eredivisie table.
The French winger gave his side the lead inside the opening 11 minutes when he headed home from a free kick delivered into the box.
Utrecht pressed in search of a second, and they found it on the half-hour mark when Duplan swivelled inside the area before firing beyond Esteban Alvarado.
A third goal followed before the interval courtesy of Mark Diemers, who compounded AZ's misery with his strike.
The Cheese Farmers, looking to extend their seven-game unbeaten run, nearly pulled a goal back when Steven Berghuis struck the crossbar, but they were unable to claw their way back into the game.
Despite the setback, AZ remain in fifth place in the league table, five points above Utrecht.
Daniel Lewis
