Turkish delight for Holland and Huntelaar

World Cup finalists the Netherlands made light of several big-name absentees to defeat Turkey 1-0 in a friendly game here on Wednesday.

Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was once again the match-winner for the Dutch, with his ninth goal in his last five international matches proving the difference between the sides.

Turkey had, however, enjoyed the better of the play in the opening stages, with Burak Yilmaz calling goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg into action in the 10th minute, in front of 12,000 vocal Turkish supporters.

Without first-team regulars Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel (injured) and Nigel de Jong — who has not been selected since breaking Hatem Ben Arfa’s leg in the Premier League — Holland took their time to settle.

Bert van Marwijk’s side found the target just once in the first half, with Wesley Sneijder’s half-volley punched away by Volkan Demirel in the 40th minute.

The first period also finished on a sour note for the Oranje, who saw Hamburg centre-back Joris Mathijsen stretchered off in tears after seriously injuring his right ankle on the stroke of half-time.

There was positive news, however, in the return from injury of Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who made his first international appearance after several months out with an ankle problem.

The encounter had struggled to capture the imagination until Huntelaar broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute after being neatly set up by Valencia defender Hedwiges Maduro.

Huntelaar’s strike made him the first Dutch player to score in five consecutive international games since Johan Neeskens in 1974.

Guus Hiddink’s Turkish charges procured several opportunities in the game’s closing stages, but a combination of wasteful finishing and the brilliance of Stekelenburg prevented them from crafting an equaliser.

Victory means the Netherlands finish 2010 with a record of 15 wins from 17 matches in the calendar year, their sole defeat coming against Spain in the World Cup final in July.