The Netherlands grinds out a win

JOHANNESBURG: The Netherlands kicked-off its World Cup campaign in Group E with victory over Denmark but it needed help from some calamitous Danish defending.

A comic own goal gifted the Dutch the lead on 46 minutes when Simon Poulsen headed a clearance against his own defensive team-mate Daniel Agger and past Thomas Sorensen.

Bert Van Marwijk's Dutch side came into tournament on a record unbeaten run of 19 games and named a strong side with only Arjen Robben missing and with captain Giovanni Van Bronckhorst earning his 100th cap.

“It's wonderful to play your 100th game and then to win. But we still have many games ahead of us, hopefully six more,” Van Bronckhorst said. “We needed to get off to a good start and we achieved that.”

Cautious Olsen

Against a Dutch side which had not lost its opening match at a finals since 1938 Danish boss Morten Olsen erred on the side of caution naming Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner as a lone striker.

The Dutch threatened first when on six minutes Wesley Sneijder tried his luck from a distance with a free-kick that did not trouble Sorensen in the Danish goal. Thomas Enevoldsen then sent a long-range free-kick wide for the Danes before Sneijder set up Dirk Kuyt whose shot moved in the air leaving Sorensen scrambling to grab it on the second attempt.

On 20 minutes there was an early flash of some Dutch magic when after a slick passing move Robin van Persie released Rafael Van der Vaart who shot wide. The Real Madrid man went close again moments later but on 27 minutes Denmark had its first chance with Dennis Rommedahl crossing from the right only for Bendtner to get his header all wrong and steer the chance wide.

Rommedahl found space down the right again on 35 minutes and this time elected to shoot forcing Maarten Stekelenburg to make his first real save of the game.

On 37 minutes Bendtner spun his marker and sent Thomas Kahlenberg through. The Wolfsburg midfielder's shot was palmed away for a corner by the increasingly busy Stekelenburg.

Van Persie had his first chance on 43 minutes when he wriggled away from Daniel Agger but could only send his shot wide.

Wild challenge

The Netherlands was no longer dominating and it finished the half with Nigel de Jong going into the referee's book for a wild challenge on Bendtner.

But the Dutch were given a huge helping hand just one minute into the second half when a Danish own goal put them one up. A long ball out of defence found Van Persie and his cross was headed by Poulsen into his own defensive team-mate Agger and past Sorensen.

“He has to forget it and look forward to the next game,” Olsen said of the own-goal scorer. “I said it happened to me in my career.”

The Dutch should have increased their lead moments later when Kuyt released Van Persie but he dallied too long on the ball and Sorensen made the save.

The Stoke City keeper made another fine stop moments later off a Van der Vaart effort as the Netherlands continued to dominate against a Danish side which took off Bendtner on 62 minutes.

Sorensen kept the Danes at bay again turning a Van Bommel shot away for a corner from which Van Persie headed wide. He joined Bendtner on the sidelines when he was replaced by Ibrahim Afellay on 79 minutes.

There was no let-up in Dutch pressure and Sneijder, who was later named Man of the Match, shook the cross-bar with a shot from distance before Kuyt added a second five minutes from time. He scored from a rebound after Eljero Elia hit the post.

And only a fantastic goal-line clearance from Christian Poulsen prevented a third.

van Marwijk's side failed to impress and he admitted, “The players were a little tense and frustrated in the first-half, we wanted to play beautiful football, but we lost the ball too often.”

“Things got better after the first goal, then you saw what we are capable of doing, we could have won by more. It was a huge relief when the second goal went in.”

Olsen insisted Poulsen was not to blame for the own goal. “Simon Poulsen was actually our best player,” he said. “That sort of thing happens to all players, but you want it to happen in training not in an important game like this.” — Agencies