Twente Enschede hammered 10-man Groningen 4-0 to stay top of the Dutch league on Sunday after their shock midweek Europa League [ Images ] loss in Moldova.

Early goals by Miroslav Stoch [ Images ] and Dwight Tiendalli put Steve McClaren's men ahead before Groningen goalkeeper Brian van Loo was sent off for fouling Blaise Nkufo on the hour.

The Switzerland [ Images ] striker converted the penalty himself and Costa Rica forward Bryan Ruiz added a fourth for the home side after 80 minutes.

Nkufo and Ruiz both took their tallies to seven this season.

Twente, beaten 2-0 by Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday, are top with 29 points from 11 matches, two more then PSV Eindhoven who won by the same score at NEC Nijmegen.

Ajax Amsterdam, a further point behind in third, got three second-half goals in eight minutes to win 4-2 at AZ Alkmaar.

Alkmaar went ahead through Mounir El Hamdaoui after 28 minutes.

Urby Emanuelson equalised when he surprised goalkeeper Sergio Romero from 30 metres before Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, with a double, and Gregory van der Wiel [ Images ] sealed the win.

Suarez, the league's top scorer, took his total to 15.