NEC Nijmegen will be playing in the Eerste Divisie next season after a 5-1 loss on aggregate to second tier outfit NAC Breda in their promotion relegation playoff.
Cyril Dessers, whose 84th minute strike had given NAC a 1-0 win in the first leg in Breda, was again the hero for the visitors in the return leg in Nijmegen, with his hat trick giving NAC a 4-1 win at Stadion de Goffert.
However Roda JC Kerkrade narrowly survived the drop, edging second division outfit MVV Maastricht 1-0 on aggregate. Daryl Werker’s 26th minute effort was all that separated the two sides over two legs of football (the first leg in Maastricht ended in a 0-0 draw)
The results mean that NEC will join Go Ahead Eagles in the Eerste Divisie next season. NAC Breda have earned promotion to the 2017/18 Eredivisie along with champions VVV-Venlo. Roda JC, who finished below NEC in the league (17th with 33 points, NEC 16th with 34) preserve their top flight status for another season.
NAC will be returning to the Eredivisie after a two season hiatus, having been relegated to the Eerste Divisie at the end of the 2014/15 season.
Promoted to Eredivisie 2017/2018: VVV-Venlo (champions), NAC Breda
Relegated from Eredivisie 2016/17: Go-Ahead Eagles, NEC Nijmegen
Stay in Eredivisie thanks to playoff win: Roda JC Kerkrade