NEC winger Christian Santos scored twice as his side won 4-1 against ADO Den Haag at the Stadion de Goffert.
NEC went ahead after just 20 seconds as Aaron Meijers inadvertently turned the ball past his own goalkeeper with his first touch of the game.
Vito Wormgoor brought Den Haag level midway through the first half after meeting a Edouard Duplan cross unchallenged to head the ball past the NEC goalkeeper.
In the second half, NEC forced two good saves from Hannes Halldorsson as Anthony Limbombe and Marcel Ritzmaier both took aim from outside the box but the Den Haag goalkeeper stood up to the task.
Halldorsson could not come to the rescue minutes later as Navarone Foor crossed to Santos to score an overhead kick from the middle of the box to put NEC back in front.
Limbombe made it three after he combined with Ritzmaier to stroke the ball home before Santos scored his fifth goal of the season from a yard out to complete the rout.
NEC rise into the Eredivisie European playoffs with the win while Den Haag are just a point above the relegation playoffs in 15th.
Nathan Staples
