Groningen missed the chance to move ten points clear of the drop zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by NAC Breda.
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The home side have had a difficult campaign and have seen their attendances dwindle in recent weeks. In a bid to fill the stadium, they offered season ticket holders the chance to bring two people along with them for free on Friday.
There was a bigger crowd at the Noordlease Stadium but there team gave them little to cheer in the first half. Mimoun Mahi hit the post early on but it was NAC who should have been ahead at the break. Samir Memisevic was lucky not to net an own goal before Sergio Padt had to deny both Mounir El Allouchi and Mitchell Te Vrede. Just before the break, Thomas Agyepong was unlucky to see his strike hit the top of the bar.
Groningen came into the game more in the second half and they took the lead on 66 minutes when Django Warmerdam’s cross was deflected into his own net by Pablo Mari.
The hosts should have settled the game ten minutes before the end when Mahi cut the ball back to an unmarked Ritsu Doan, but the midfielder could only hammer his strike against the bar from close range.
NAC made Groningen pay for that miss as Te Vrede equalised in the 86th minute with a curled effort into the net after his initial shot was saved by Padt.
Tom van Weert got a chance to win it for Groningen late on but his header sailed just wide and both sides had to settle for a point.
Groningen remain 13th while NAC Breda move above Willem II into 14th.
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