Excelsior 3 - 2 AZ Alkmaar

Excelsior 3-2 AZ Alkmaar

Updated: April 29, 2007, 5:04 PM UK

ROTTERDAM, April 29 (Eredivisie) - AZ Alkmaar suffered end-of-season heartbreak after their pursuit for a first Eredivisie crown in 25 years was halted at the final hurdle by Excelsior on Sunday.

Ten-man AZ twice came from behind after having goalkeeper Boy Waterman sent off early on, but conceded a last minute winner to go down 3-2 and leave PSV to take the title after their 5-1 thrashing of Vitesse Arnhem.

Luigi Bruins's penalty and two goals from Henrico Drost twice put the home side in the lead only for equalisers from Simon Cziommer and Danny Koevermans to keep the visitors' hopes alive.

Rene van Dieren was sent off for Excelsior with 15 minutes to go, but substitute Daniel Guijo-Velasco scored the decisive goal with seconds remaining to end their championship dream.

AZ, who had started the day top of the table on goal difference and with their destiny in their own hands, ended it in third, two points behind PSV and Ajax, who finished one goal short of Ronald Koeman's side after a 2-0 defeat of Willem II.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start when Waterman was shown the red card for bringing down Andwele Slory and Bruins sent replacement stopper Khalid Sinouh the wrong way with the resulting penalty.

However, the 10 men were level four minutes later, Cziommer curling a free-kick into the left hand corner of the net.

Excelsior may have already been consigned to the relegation play-offs, but they dealt AZ a hammer blow on the hour mark when Drost's long-range effort crept into the corner via a post.

Koevermans gave his side a lifeline in the 71st minute, capitalising on a defensive mix-up in the home side's box, before Van Dieren was dismissed for a second yellow card.

And Koevermans almost won it for AZ when he shot against a post on 78 minutes, but instead they saw their title hopes killed off by Guijo-Velasco's close range finish in injury time.