Ruud Boymans brace inspires FC Utrecht's rout of NAC Breda

Ruud Boymans bagged a brace as FC Utrecht moved into the top half of the Eredivisie table with a resounding 5-1 win away to NAC Breda tonight.

The 25-year-old scored in both halves to move one goal shy of double figures in the Dutch top flight this season.

Boymans opened the scoring after just 11 minutes, but the goal was cancelled out by Jeffrey Sarpong with eight minutes remaining in the half as the hosts looked like earning half-time parity.

However, Edouard Duplan struck in first-half stoppage time to give Utrecht a slender lead at the break.

Duplan turned provider to capitalise on a defensive error from Breda before playing in Boymans to net his ninth of the season on 55 minutes.

The host looked to halve the deficit once more and Sarpong came closest with a drive that whistled wide of the post on the hour mark.

Utrecht, meanwhile, carried on in the same vein and almost bagged a fourth when Jelle ten Rouwelaar tipped Rubio Rubin's shot wide.

Rubin would not be denied a second time, however, as he added gloss to the scoreline on 85 minutes, before former Arsenal youth Nacer Barazite capped a five-star performance by adding a fifth late on.