The home team slowly got stuck on their own half and stayed there for most of the first half. Partizan kept on attacking, in the 14th minute Balažic sent an excellent pass to Saša Ilić. He dribbled himself through the defense line of Donji Srem up to the penalty area and gave the ball to Kojić, who was waiting there. Kojić shot, but goalkeeper Belić was right in the ball’s way. Two minutes later Babović got the ball from Ninković. He shot, but the goalkeeper saved this one, too. We still possessed the ball. Ninković got it, he tricked Donji Srem’s defenders with marvellous "umbrella" dribbles, then made a distant shot to the goal line. Pity it was too wide, it could have been a giant goal.
Ninković was one of the best players of the match. On this photo one of the little ball-boys is giving him the ball
The 17th minute was the moment when Donji Srem could reach Partizan’s penalty area for the first time. But even then it was just some minor demonstration by them, Živko Živković had absolutely nothing to do.
A minute later Saša Ilić ran up on the left side and wanted to pass the ball to Grbić, but a defender was faster and headed the ball to corner. In the 20th minute we got a free kick, about 22-25 metres from the goal line. Kojić headed the shot towards the goal line, but he missed it, yet we still possessed the ball. Ninković was dribbling around the penalty area, it ended with a corner.
Forever young Zvonko Varga. I always have the impression he could still play quite a few youngsters off the ground
In the 23rd minute again Ninković rushed up and passed to Saša Ilić. He sent it to Kojić, the striker wanted to shot the ball into the net with a cool "Oxford" trick, but this chance was missed as well. In the 29th minute Ninković gave a fantastic pass to Babović, who missed it from the goalmouth. A few seconds later Volkov sent a shot again from the goalmouth, right onto the side net.
In the 33rd minute Donji Srem was again seen around Partizan’s penalty area, but Branko Ilić soon made their fun to an end.
And then came the 36th minute.
Ninković ran up on the left side and sent a giant pass to Kojić. Kojić thanked and walked into the net together with the ball.
GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!! 0:1!!!
For the rest of the first half there was a missed chance by the home team, saved by Živko Živković as well as a Partizan free kick that also missed the goal line.
A little ball-boy
At the very beginning of the second half Saša Ilić got a chance, but his shot flew out above the crossbar. Meanwhile Donji Srem started to break free from the bunker, slowly but surely. They possessed the ball more and more and appeared around Partizan’s penalty area. They had a dangerous attack in the 56th minute
I almost got a heart attack
the ball arrived from the right, our luck was that everyone missed it and it rolled out of the field through the line.
In the 57th minute we had a short smoke break, a firecracker flew onto the field. The game continued a minute later with a free kick by the home team. Košutić was trying around the penalty area, his shot was too wide.
The next approx. 10 minutes were spent by Donji Srem trying more and more brave. Still Partizan controlled the game, but the home team could run up to our goal line more and more often. Then in the 68th minute Kojić ran up with the ball on the right side and passed it with a fantastic movement to Ninković. It ended as a corner. Three minutes later Donji Srem was trying, but the referee whistled offside.
Živko Živković
Then in the 74th minute Saša Ilić got the ball and passed it ahead (to Babović?). Then Volkov got it, who started to run up and served the ball on red carpet, with golden plate to Kojić arriving in the middle. The striker nodded, the ball landed in the net. 0:2
In the 77th minute Donji Srem reduced the difference. A not much precise pass arrived from the left in the middle of the penalty area. Yet, Špalević was at the right place in the right time. He made a shot with a half-turn and the ball flew into the net near Živko Živković, who tried to throw himself inot the ball's way, unsuccessful. 1:2
I'd say it was a beautiful goal, but I won't, because it wasn't scored by Partizan.
In the 79th minute Andrija Živković substituted Saša Ilić
The fans were singing and chanting "Jer je Sale samo jedan".
A minute later it was almost 2:2, and I don’t say our defense line would have been innocent... Finally they cleared the area, it ended in a corner. In the 83rd minute we got a free kick, about 18 metres from the goal line, on the left side. The goalkeeper was flying through the air to save it.
In the meantime it happened twice that a Partizan player was pushed to the ground inside the penalty area. No, the referee didn't whistle...
In the 88th minute Drinčić had a free kick bomb, Balažic headed it ahead, but the ball flew out above the crossbar. In the 90th minute Donji Srem got a free kick, after one of their players theatrically threw himself on the ground.
The, ahem, foul happened at the penalty area line, but Živko Živković made a great save.
We were in the extra time when someone from the tribunes was trolling, imitating the final whistle. There was a big chance for Donji Srem left, then the final whistle could really come together with the well-deserved celebrating.
Match highlights:
Facts:
Venue: Karađorđe Stadion, Novi Sad
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Bojan Nikolić (assistant: Srđan Milutinović, Milan Minić - 4th assistant: Jovica Milin - goal line assistants: Majo Vujović, Ilija Brdar)
Donji Srem: Belić - Lakičević, Prjević, Vukobrat, Josimov - Košutić (Stanković, 69.), Šarac - Abubakar, Jelić (Hristov, 85.), Obuobi (Sinđić, 85.) - Špalević
Head coach: Zlatomir Zagorčić
FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Bandalovski, Balažic, B. Ilić, Volkov - Drinčić, S. Ilić (A. Živković, 78.) - Grbić, Babović, Ninković (Brašanac, 69.) - Kojić (Šaponjić, 90+2.)
Head coach: Marko Nikolić
Goal scorers: Kojić (35., 73.), Špalević (76.)
Yellow card: Abubakar (18.), Josimov (43.), Babović (59.), Volkov (80.)
Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 43 pont
2. Crvena Zvezda 39 pont
3. Čukarički 35 pont
4. Vojvodina 33 pont
5. OFK Beograd 26 pont
6. Rad 25 pont
7. Novi Pazar 24 pont
8. Jagodina 24 pont
9. Mladost 22 pont
10. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 21 pont
11. Napredak 19 pont
12. Donji Srem 19 pont
13. Borac 17 pont
14. Radnički Niš 17 pont
15. FK Voždovac 17 pont
16. Radnički 1923 11 pont
(photos: Facebook/Fudbalski klub Partizan)
