The Netherlands made a small step to getting their World Cup campaign back on track, beating Cyprus 4-0 in Eindhoven.

While the margin and the goals were convincing, the game in general was scrappy and often dull, and offered few reassurances that the Euro 2000 semi-finalists can lift themselves permanently back into the top two spots of the group.

"We played very badly," said coach Louis van Gaal. "The first half was weak, and after the break we were worse."

It was not until the 29th minute that Chelsea's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink opened the scoring with a thundering free kick from just outside the penalty area.

Six minutes later Marc Overmars, one of the few players who showed any pace, found a loose ball just outside the box and thumped it home to make it 2-0. Patrick Kluivert's goal a minute before half-time, was "beauty", according to Van Gaal. The Barcelona striker back-heeled the ball into the net after a superb cross from Boudewijn Zenden.

The highlight of the game, judging by the roar of the 30,000-strong crowd, was the appearance of Ruud van Nistelrooy, fresh from agreeing a £19 million move to Manchester United.

Brought on to replace Clarence Seedorf in the 71st minute, he livened up a dreary second half, with three near-misses. But another fine cross from Zenden gave van Nistelrooy - playing his first international since February 2000 - the perfect chance to headed home the fourth goal.

HOLLAND: Van der Sar, Seedorf (van Nistelrooy 71), Melchiot, Hofland, Frank de Boer, Van Bommel, Cocu, Kluivert, Zenden, Hasselbaink (van Hooijdonk 71), Overmars (Sikora 83).Booked: Sikora.

CYPRUS: Morphis, Konnafis, Germanou, Filippou, Charis Charalambous, Melanarkitis, Engomitis (Kaiafas 88), Satsias, Ioannios Okkas (Agathocleous 84), Christodoulou (Elefteriou 76), Konstantinou. Booked: Konnafis, Engomitis.

Referee: S Baskakov (Russia).