RK Partizan - Spartak Vojput 26:24 (play-off, round 6)

It's unbelievable that today is Tuesday and there is still no material about a match played on Sunday out of the usual and only referee's match report, which I regularly use to find out what happened on the game. The superliga's website contains no photos/videos, their Facebook-site pretends that there are only two teams taking part in the play-off series (Vojvodina and Crvena Zvezda), other teams don't even exist. Dear everyone, the play-off is getting intensified now, when only three rounds are left, you should overwhelm us with information and media. But no... Even the renowned Sportski žurnal has to work with the only available referee’s report, and that says all.
I found only one photo about this match, from Spartak’s website. A big thank you to them for it.

In the first half we played with great confidence. 5:2, 7:3, 9:6, 12:8 and so on. We played, Spartak assisted. The first half ended with 16:11.

A question in the meantime: whose idea was this to put this game to Sunday morning at 11:30?...

The second half looked even smoother in the beginning (20:11, 22:15). It started to be tough around the 48th minute, when Spartak jumped from 23:17 to 23:20 (if I could see well, Radojković was sent off for 2 minutes at the same time). We quickly corrected to 25:20 with the goals of Kukić and Živković (52. min).
Then Popović was also sent off in the 57th minute. Spartak reduced the difference to 26:23. Eventually Mršulja was also sent off, referees surely thought it’s better to be safe than sorry... Spartak scored their last goal right before the end buzz.
The hero of the day was Mihajlo Radojković with a brilliant performance and 10 goals. He is followed by Nemanja Živković (5), Živan Pešić (4), Aleksa Maksić (3), Lazar Kukić (2) as well as Ivan Popović and Igor Mršulja (1-1).

Partizan-players put Đekić, Spartak’s #5 under fire

(photo: rkspartakvojput.com)

Current standing of the play-off:

1. Metaloplastika 10 points

2. Vojvodina 9 points

3. Partizan 8 points

4. Spartak Vojput 5 points

5. CZ 2 points

6. Sloga 2 points

Spartak Vojput - RK Partizan 24:24 (play-off, 1st match)

I always think that I reached the bottom line with amateurism, then a shocking new experience makes me sure that there is always an even lower line.
This game was announced to broadcast for 19:00 at the superliga’s website.
For 19:00 the game was finished long ago.
Congratulations. Well done.
(I lost a few million brain cells for sure.)
We played a draw with Subotica which is definitely not a bad result, concerning Spartak being involved in international competitions until now, they returned to the Serbian domestic league only for the play-off.
The beginning wasn’t easy and it continued not to be easy. Spartak played with big advantage for quite a while. The standing was 10:4 in the 20th minute, when we started to reduce the difference slowly but surely. We equalized in the last minute of the first half (12:12), then we could have a well-earned rest.
The second half brought a more balanced game. Both teams kept on scoring, but the difference was always just one goal. If one of them scored, the other quickly equalized. Spartak could gain a very little advantage in the 51st minute - not much, only 2 goals, but we didn’t allow them to run away. Živković was heroically scoring throughout the entire game, and here, at the end it was him (together with Mršulja and Sretenović) who kept the pace with the Subotica-based team. Živković equalized in the 58th minute (24:24), making it the end result as well.
The hero of the day is Nemanja Živković, that’s beyond question, with his 10!!! goals. The others, Sretenović and Kukić scored 4-4 goals. They are followed by Pešić and Mršulja (2-2) as well as Radojković and Makšić (1-1).
Photos from the match:

Mršulja is pulled from different sides

"Thou shall not pass!" Sretenović blocking Spartak’s player

Home players try to hold back Pešić

Pižurica surrounded by defenders...

...while later him and Maksić are trying to block the opponent

(photos: Facebook/Super Rukometna Liga Srbije)

There’s one game left from this round, so play-off table will be brought only afterwards.
Update: the standing of the play-off after the first round
1. CZ 2 points
2. Metaloplastika 2 points
3. Partizan 1 point
4. Spartak Vojput 1 point
5. Vojvodina 0 point
6. Sloga 0 point

RK Partizan - Spartak Vojput 34:28 (Serbian SuperLiga, Winners' Stage, Round 8)

What a shame. I forgot about the handball team during the great upheaval around football and basketball in the past few days. Though on their latest match our handball players had a fantastic victory against Spartak Vojput.
We needed this victory as the starving needs a piece of bread. And this victory was also special because before this clash Partizan had been at the lower ranks of the league table, while Spartak was second behind Vojvodina.
As much as I could gain from reports, the first half was a nip and tuck game. What is more, around the end Spartak took advantage of our mistakes and switched the standing to their benefit for the half-time to have a one-goal advantage (12:13).
Then Partizan sped up for the second half. Everything was at the right place, everything started to work and roll. After a while the opponent gave up speeding up to our pace. 6-7 minutes before the end our advantage was 8 goals (30:22, then 31:23). For the end the Subotica-based team reduced a bit their difference, but nobody could take away this victory from us.
On Sunday Partizan will clash with Metaloplastika, and you will raise your butt and go to the Banjica sports hall to scream your throat out. This will be the last round of the Winners' Stage, and if we win and can finish on the 2nd place of the league table, we can qualify to SEHA Liga for the next season.

Ćućuz, the golden-handed goalkeeper

"Gimme that ball, bro" - Radovanović tackles the opponent’s player

A Spartak defender hanging on Igor Mršulja

Lazar Kukić

Someone is trying to score a goal to Mihailo Ilić

Air Vanja

Group hug

(photos: rkpartizan.rs)

Curent standing of the Winners' Stage:
1. Vojvodina 16 points
2. Spartak Vojput 9 points
3. Partizan 7 points
4. Jugović 6 points
5. Radnički 5 points
6. Metaloplastika 5 points

RK Partizan - Spartak Vojput 33:29

Still at the beginning of the game Ivan Popović got injured, we had to play for the rest of the match without him. Thankfully his absence did not mean any problem. We made it to 10:7, during the first half we increased the difference to 4 goals. Then in the second half the guest team picked themselves together and made a 3:6 series. The difference was only 1 goal 8 minutes before the end (28:27), but the Kukić-Marsenić-Radović axis kicked themselves into action and filled the net of the Subotica team with goals, settling the end result. Radović was the hero of the game with 10 goals.

Sretenović in action

(photo: zurnal.rs)

Current championship standings:
1. Metaloplastika 23 points
2. Spartak Vojput 23 points
3. Jugović 22 points
4. Partizan 21 points
5. Crvena Zvezda 17 points
6. Železničar 16 points
7. Požarevac 14 points
8. Rudar Kostolac 12 points
9. Planinka 12 points
10. Kolubara 0 point

Update: you can watch the first half here, the second half here.

Coming up: handball, volleyball and rugby tomorrow

The day starts with rugby. (Yes, Partizan has a rugby team as well, RLK Partizan.) They meet RLK Dorćol at 10:30 in the morning. The rugby field is in ul. Humska, near the football stadium. Here you will find link for online broadcast.

Next is the handball team. They will play in Subotica from 18:00 against Spartak Vojput. The team is 5th in the championship, the Subotica team is 6th. (The championship is led by Metaloplastika.) If all goes well, here you can follow them via online stream.

Update: the match against Spartak Vojput is postponed to 8th November, 19:00.

Finally, at 19:00 the volleyball team clashes with Novi Pazar at an away match. I suggest everyone to check this site regularly, you can follow livescores right from the beginning of the match.