PSV beat Heracles to clinch ninth Dutch Cup
Reuters - Sunday 08 April 2012, 19:17
Former Dutch international
Phillip Cocu clinched his first trophy just 28 days after he
accepted the job as PSV Eindhoven head coach when his team beat
Heracles Almelo 3-0 in the Dutch Cup final on Sunday.
Cocu, also assistant to Bert van Marwijk with the national
side, succeeded Fred Rutten who was sacked last month.
"I don't consider this as my success," said Cocu. "Rutten
also has a share in this trophy."
"Today we played with only one aim, winning the cup, and we
set the tone from the first moment.
"Now we can celebrate but tomorrow the focus will be back on
the league, where we are still chasing the title," added Cocu,
whose team lie fourth, trailing leaders Ajax Amsterdam by four
points with six matches remaining.
PSV started impressively and created five clear chances in
the opening 20 minutes but Jeremain Lens missed the target twice
and when he set up Dries Mertens the Belgian winger was denied
by goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.
Ola Toivonen, however, put PSV on track for their ninth cup
final win when he netted a pass from Zakaria Labyad on 31
minutes.
Heracles, making their first cup final appearance after
beating AZ Alkmaar in the semis, never came close to a repeat of
that form as PSV forged clear.
A long pass from Erik Pieters reached Mertens who headed the
ball from 16 metres over Pasveer to double the lead after 56
minutes and soon afterwards a well-executed chip from Lens made
it 3-0.