Soccer-Late Henriksen goal keeps AZ's European hopes on track

AMSTERDAM, March 21 (Reuters) - Markus Henriksen netted a last-gasp winner for AZ Alkmaar in the 2-1 win over SC Cambuur on Saturday to boost their hopes of an automatic place in European competition next season. Like Alkmaar, Vitesse Arnhem also kept their sights on the Europa League with a 2-0 win at struggling Go Ahead Eagles Deventer. The 22-year-old Norwegian Henriksen was the toast of Alkmaar after the goal which took them to within one point of third place, a position which would ensure an automatic spot in the Europa League. AZ had gone ahead with an 11th minute penalty from Nemanja Gudelj but faced dropping points when former Nigeria international Bartholomew Ogbeche equalised for visiting Cambuur just after the hour mark. Yet Henriksen's late intervention pushed fourth-placed AZ up to 50 points, one behind Feyenoord, who host league leaders PSV Eindhoven on Sunday. Zakaria Labyad scored early for Vitesse in their win at Go Ahead Eagles with Marko Vejinovic adding the second in the 65th minute as they stayed fifth with 47 points. It was a sixth win from their last seven league encounters for Vitesse. Heerenveen moved up to sixth place with 44 points after winning 4-1 at Heracles Almelo, with Luciano Slagveer scoring twice. The teams finishing between fourth and seventh at the end of the season will play off for one more Europa League berth. Bottom-placed Dordrecht remained eight points adrift after going down 2-1 at Willem II Tilburg for whom Ben Sahar scored both. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ian Chadband)