GRONINGEN, May 3 (SW) - The impossible nearly happened on Wednesday. Fifth-placed Groningen were on the verge of possibly qualifying for the Champions League when a late goal by Wesley Sneijder put Ajax over the top 3-2 on aggregate, despite losing the match 2-1.

Groningen, always strong at their own Euroborg stadium, needed 42 minutes to score through Erik Nevland. Bruno Ramon Silva got a second on the hour mark, setting the aggregate score to 2-2.

Ajax increased their pressure on the home side and were eventually rewarded when Wesley Sneijder struck past goalkeeper Bas Roorda in the 90th minute.

Danny Blind's men advance to the third preliminary round of the Champions League, but the 20,000 spectators applauded their team, Groningen, for an impressive season and for reaching European football (UEFA Cup) for the first time since 1992.

The players' behaviour was somewhat disappointing however, as Danny Buijs of Groningen and Nourdin Boukhari of Ajax were both sent off after a mass fight in stoppage time.