Groningen have edged themselves into the top half of the Eredivisie table with a 2-0 win against AZ in Sunday's clash at Euroborg.
The visitors were first to threaten when they won a free kick 20 yards from goal, but Dabney dos Santos's resulting effort proved wildly off target.
There was little to get excited about in the game until just after the half-hour mark, when goalkeeper Sergio Rochet palmed a ball into the path of Brian Linssen, who converted on the rebound to put the hosts in the lead.
AZ tried desperately to edge themselves back into contention but were largely sloppy and toothless in the final third, allowing the hosts to kill the game off thanks to Mimoun Mahi's late strike.
The result sees Groningen climb to eighth in the Eredivisie table, while AZ continue to languish in 15th place.
Giuseppe Labellarte
