Ajax cruised to a three-goal home victory over struggling NEC Nijmegen to stay within touching distance of Eredivisie pace-setters FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven.

Luis Suarez got the ball rolling on the stroke of half-time before second-half strikes from substitute Siem de Jong and Mitchell Donald sealed the points for the home side.

The game started slowly, with the Amsterdam outfit unable to assert themselves in the opening stages.

Indeed, it was NEC's John Goosens who had the first shot on goal, just missing the target with an eighth-minute effort.

Suarez returned fire with a wayward effort of his own before De Jong forced Gabor Babos into a smart save for NEC.

Toby Alderweirerld should have made it 1-0 to Ajax after 24 minutes but headed Demy de Zeeuw's cross straight at Babos.

Suarez again had a go from a 41st-minute free-kick but only succeeded in breaking the deadlock in first-half injury-time.

Suarez first gained a corner after his chipped effort was tipped into touch via the crossbar and then poked home from the resulting set-piece.

The hosts were much more at ease after the break, with Jan Vertonghen going on a surging run just three minutes into the half before wasting his work with a skied finish.

The second goal eventually came in the 65th minute, with Suarez and Marko Pantelic combining well to tee up De Jong for a simple finish six yards out.

The lively Suarez was involved again in the third of the night, breaking down the right with 78 minutes gone and finding Donald who guided the ball beyond Babos.