FC Twente suffered a blow in their pursuit of European qualification by losing 3-1 at home to SBV Excelsior this evening.

Second-half goals from Daan Bovenberg and Kevin Vermeulen helped the visitors to only their second away win of the Eredivisie season and kept Twente five points adrift of AZ above them in fourth place.

It was Excelsior who took the lead as top scorer Jeff Stans struck his eighth of the campaign on 22 minutes.

Twente were also beaten by bottom-half opposition in their last game as they went down to ADO Den Haag but were quick to respond as Jesus Corona levelled six minutes later from Youness Mokhtar's pass.

Defender Bovenberg popped up from a Rick Kruys set piece on 51 minutes to restore an advantage which Excelsior held on to despite the hosts having the majority of the ball in the second half.

They killed the game off with a third on the break three minutes from time as Stans supplied substitute Vermeulen with a goal which secured Excelsior a first win in four games.