Goals by Oussama Assaidi, Luciano Narsingh and Bas Dost guided Heerenveen to an emphatic 3-0 victory over FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie tonight.

The result propelled Heerenveen towards mid-table, two points and three places behind their eighth-placed opponents.

Dost sent a header narrowly wide from Narsingh's right-wing cross in the first goalmouth action of the game before the hosts went ahead in the 18th minute with an individual effort by Assaidi.

The Moroccan cut in on the left and hit a left-footed shot from 20 yards which went into the bottom left-hand corner.

Heerenveen doubled their lead ten minutes laster with Assaidi the provider on this occasion, crossing from the left into the area, where Narsingh sent home a right-footed shot.

Utrecht almost halved the deficit two minutes before half-time when Michael Silberbauer's pass found Ricky van Wolfswinkel, but the forward struck a right-footed shot that hit the right post.

The visitors went all out in the second half. Tommy Oar hit a free-kick that was heading to the top corner before goalkeeper Kevin Stuhr-Ellegaard intervened.

Nana Asare put a shot just wide before Heerenveen sealed victory in the 76th minute when Mika Vayrynen passed to Dost on the left side of the area and he lobbed the goalkeeper.