PSV Eindhoven and Ajax both picked up hard-fought victories on Saturday evening to ensure the gap separating the Dutch powerhouses at the top of the Eredivisie remains at two points.
Leaders PSV far from had things all their own way as they needed an injury-time strike by Mark van Bommel to made certain of a 2-0 win at home to second-bottom VVV-Venlo.
Memphis Depay had handed the hosts the lead inside three minutes but VVV refused to lie down and the match was in the balance until Van Bommel struck at the death.
Ajax stayed in touch as they won 2-0 at FC Twente, whose own title aspirations are now all but over as they slipped nine points off the pace on the back of their seventh match without a win.
Alfred Schreuder took charge of Twente after Steve McClaren quit earlier this week, but the interim boss could not deliver a first win since December 21 as Ajax claimed the points with goals from Niklas Moisander in the fourth minute and fellow defender Toby Alderweireld after 25.
The victory takes the Amsterdammers three points clear of surprise title aspirants Vitesse Arnhem, who had pulled level with victory over FC Utrecht on Friday night.
Heerenveen pulled seven points clear of the relegation play-off zone with a 2-1 win at NAC Breda.
NAC looked on course for the points thanks to Nemanja Gudelj's 49th-minute strike, but Alfred Finnbogason struck a quickfire double inside the final 10 minutes to lift Heerenveen to the win.
PEC Zwolle also put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three as they moved four points clear of danger with a 2-0 win at home to bottom side Willem II.
Goals from Arsenio Valpoort (57) and Mateusz Klich (60) sealed the win as Willem II remain cast adrift at the foot of the standings, nine points from safety with nine games remaining.
As previously mentioned, Vitesse Arnhem kept alive their title hopes with a 2-0 defeat of FC Utrecht on Friday.
Mike Havenaar gave the home side the lead in the 15th minute and Wilfried Bony doubled their advantage 11 minutes into the second half when he sprung the offside trap and beat goalkeeper Robbin Ruiter with a low shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
On Sunday, Feyenoord moved back three points behind leaders PSV following a comfortable 3-0 win at NEC.
Jean-Paul Boetius put the visitors ahead after 11 minutes, before Graziano Pelle doubled their advantage four minutes before the interval.
Boetius grabbed his second of the afternoon seven minutes from time to seal the win.
Relegation-threatened Roda picked up a surprising 4-1 win over Groningen.
Roda - who are third from bottom of the table - made the perfect start when Frank Demouge put them ahead inside the opening minute before David Texeira levelled the scores six minutes later.
Guus Hupperts put the hosts back in front after 29 minutes while Demouge's second four minutes before the break put them two goals to the good.
Sanharib Malki's strike three minutes after the restart completed the scoring for Roda who are now level on points with AZ, who are only out of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference after they lost 2-1 at RKC.
Mart Lieder bagged a brace for RKC, as AZ could not hold on after Jozy Altidore's leveller.
Elsewhere, ADO Den Haag beat Heracles 3-1 thanks to a Mike van Duinen double and Tjaronn Chery strike, with Geoffrey Castillion on target for Heracles.
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