FK Partizan - Radnički 1923 2:1 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 21)

The match started with a minute of silence, remembering Boguljub Stepanović, former referee and president of the Serbian Referee Association, who passed away recently.

Then came an amazing scene.
Kickoff-time, Partizan’s players are in the centre circle. The referee whistles, Ninković kicks into the ball - and Radnički players all sit down on the ground. They stayed there for about half a minute. A mini-strike.

As I got to know later, the opponent’s players haven’t received salary for months

it’s some kind of epidemic in SuperLiga, isn’t it?

and they chose this form of protest. The audience applaused and cheered loud, showing support for their courage.
Then Partizan vehemently attacked Radnički, to miss out a long row of chances in the entire first half.
In the 3rd minute Ninković sent a shot from the right side. The ball was dropping through the penalty area, finally the goalkeeper caught it. Two minutes later Volkov passed it to Šaponjić from the left, but the ball flew too high, goalkeeper Trifunović got it. In the 11th minute Saša Ilić gave the ball to Babović, but his try ended as a corner.
It was going on like this for the whole time, with this pace.

In the 19th minute Saša Ilić passed to Grbić, from him the ball rolled to Šaponjić, but this chance was missed out as well. A minute later the very same scene could be seen with the same performers: Saša Ilić passes to Grbić, he sends it to Šaponjić, but the ball leaves the ground flying above the crossbar.

Grbić ran a lot for the whole time

In the 27th minute Babović sent a shot from 17 metres, but it was too wide. A minute later Drinčić had a pass from the left. Babović headed it to the goal line, but it ended as a corner. In the 32nd minute Saša Ilić passed the ball to Šaponjić with a movement that should be taught, but the young striker shot it into the goalkeeper from the goalmouth. In the 34th minute there was a big upheaval inside Radnički’s penalty area after a corner, both Šaponjić and Ninković were trying hard, finally the defenders cleared the aera.
Some time in the 36th minute was the first time when the guest team could find their breath. Until then Partizan kept them under very heavy pressure. Radnički definitely consists of tough guys, because they used even this chance for a counter-attack. They ran up to Partizan’s penalty area, Milovanović sent a shot from 16 metres, but missed. We quickly made a counter-attack, that ended in a corner. The shot flew into the penalty area, Volkov jumped high to head it, but it was too high, the ball flew out above the crossbar. Two minutes later Šaponjić got the ball, together with a bunch of defenders right on his back. The striker finally slid out through the line together with the ball. Kick-out.
In the 39th minute Radnički had another try. Again Milovanović, again a distant shot, it was even dangerous. Živković saved.
In the 42nd minute Ninković got the ball from Grbić. He immediately shot from 16 metres, it was too high. A minute later Balažic missed out a chance - the ball flew in from a corner-kick, and like a well-trained troll, it slid off from the foot of Partizan’s defender.
After the final whistle of the first half all the viewers could see was Saša Ilić and Volkov having an argument with the referee. I got to know again only later, referee Ilić whistled off the first half too early.

In the beginning of the second half Bandalovski had an instant try, but the goalkeeper caught his shot. Radnički immediately ran up for a counter-attack, Milovanović kicked the ball, but it was too wide.

In the 48th minute Babović passed to Šaponjić, but the striker’s shot was blocked by the defenders. Corner. The kick was sent to the goal line by Babović, but missed it out.
In the 57th minute again Babović had a try with a distant shot, but the ball flew out of the field above the crossbar. Two minutes later Ninković passed to Šaponjić, Šaponjić headed the ball to the goal line, but it flew out next to the goalpost. Radnički had a chance in the 60th minute. Kovačević sent a shot to our goal line, but it was weak, Živković caught it without much problem. A minute later Volkov sent a huge pass to Radnički’s goalmouth. Babović caught it, but he shot too wide again.
In the 62nd minute Brašanac, who just joined the game as a substitute, missed out a huge chance, only with a few centimetres.
Then in the 64th minute we could still make it and score a goal. Saša Ilić passed the ball to Babović. Babović was tackling inside the penalty area, trying to find a place to shoot. He almost crossed the line, when he finally shot from the left side, into the right corner of the net. 1:0

In the southern tribune there was a bonfire.

In the 68th minute we got a free kick. Babović shot, right to Branko Ilić. The defender kicked the ball into the skies.
Radnički had their first corner of the match in the 71st minute.
They made it.
It was a classic scene. The ball falls into the goalmouth, dropping here and there inside the penalty area, finally Rosić kicked it into the net. Cold shower. 1:1
Our answer was rapid though.
Babović ran up with the ball on the right side. He gave it to Volkov, who sent it up into the penalty area. Kojić got it there, then the ball ended at Saša Ilić. The Captain sent it into the net with a fly-kick. 2:1

(photo: hotsport.rs)

And fans were chanting again "Jer je Sale samo jedan".
In the 76th minute Kojić missed out a big chance. He got the ball from Saša Ilić and tried to shot from a sharp angle. The ball rolled ahead to the other side, passing through the goalmouth, when Babović grabbed it. His shot was too wide. In the 83rd minute again Kojić had a try. He headed the ball to the goal line, the goalkeeper performed the Save Of The Year.
There was only one chance left, in the 90+2nd minute, when we got a free kick and Drinčić sent the ball to the goal line, barely missing it.

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 4000
Referee: Milan Ilić (assistant: Jovica Milin, Ivica Stojanović  - 4th assistant: Goran Stanojević - goal line assistants: Milan Jeremić, Igor Paunović)

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Bandalovski, Balažic, B. Ilić, Volkov - Drinčić - Grbić (Marinković, 87.), S. Ilić, Babović, Ninković (Brašanac, 62.) - Šaponjić (Kojić, 67.)
Head coach: Zoran Milinković

Radnički 1923: Trifunović - Teržić, Osei Bonsu, Rosić, B. Miljuš - Bubanja (Kaljević, 79.), Kovačević - Tiodorović (Vusljanin, 66.), D. Miljuš, Vidović (Jović, 88.) - Milovanović
Head coach: Neško Milovanović

Goal scorers: Babović (63.), Rosić (71), S. Ilić (73.)
Yellow cards: B. Miljuš (22.), Bonsu (31.), Volkov (53.), Trifunović (66.), D. Miljuš (66.), Kojić (88.)

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 50 points
2. Crvena Zvezda 45 points
3. Čukarički 40 points
4. Vojvodina 37 points
5. Novi Pazar 33 points
6. OFK Beograd 32 points
7. Rad 31 points
8. Jagodina 30 points
9. Mladost 26 points
10. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 24 points
11. Borac 20 points
12. Napredak 20 points
13. Donji Srem 20 points
14. Radnički Niš 19 points
15. FK Voždovac 18 points
16. Radnički 1923 14 points

(Unmarked photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)