Helmond Sport were defeated 1-3 at home by ADO Den Haag in a Netherlands Eerste Divisie fixture on February 21, 2026. ADO Den Haag demonstrated their quality and promotion credentials with a comfortable away victory against a struggling Helmond side. The visitors from The Hague took control of the match early, scoring the opening goal to settle any nerves. They added a second before halftime, putting the game firmly in their grasp. Helmond Sport showed some fight after the break, pulling a goal back to give themselves a glimmer of hope. However, ADO Den Haag extinguished that hope by scoring a decisive third goal to seal the three points. The match highlighted the gulf in class between the two sides on the day, with ADO's attacking players causing constant problems. The win strengthened ADO Den Haag's position near the top of the league table, while Helmond Sport remained mired in the lower reaches. The ADO manager was pleased with the professional performance, while the Helmond coach acknowledged the need for improvement. The starting XIs featured ADO's experienced core proving too strong for the home team.