Mozzart Bet Serbian Super Liga, round 20 fixture
Venue: Cair Stadium, Nis
Kick-off time: 4pm CET
Referee: Stanko Ostracanin
Yellow cards: Djurdjevic, Zubairu, A Jovanovic (PAR)
Red cards: `54 Djurdjevic (PAR)
Penalty missed: `40 Ilic (RDN)
Penalty saved: `40 A Jovanovic (PAR)
GOALS: 0-1 `5 Scekic
Teams:
RADNICKI
Stanovukovic, Pavlovic, Vojnovic, Stojanovic, Jo, Stajic (Terzic 71), Nisic, Belakovic, Yurukov, Ilic, Ivelja
PARTIZAN
A Jovanovic, Djurdjevic, Filipovic, Ilic, Jurcevic, Scekic, Jankovic (Kovac (HT), Natcho (Roganovic 57), Alilovic (Lazarevic 84), Zubairu (D Jovanovic 90+2), Nikolic (Kalulu 57)
Nis, December 21
Partizan won final SSL game before winter break, beating Radnicki Nis away 1-0.
Caretaker boss Marko Jovanovic made three starting line-up changes. Djurdjevic was in for fatigued youngster Roganovic, Jurcevic recovered from injury to return to left-back position while 18-year-old Alilovic made his full debut at the expense of Kalulu.
Partizan made a bright start and got close to taking the lead on 3. Angled low shot from Jurcevic was saved by the keeper but the ball rebounded for Nikolic whose close range shot was met by another save from Radnicki goalie.
However, Partizan took the lead two mins later when Jurcevic took a corner-kick and Scekic sent heart-of-the-box header into the right corner of the net. Radnicki 0, Partizan 1.
Home side came forward searching for equalizer while Partizan retreated back to defend the lead. Our defence seemed rock-solid in the first half, making a number of blocks for Radnicki to send only a couple of shots wide and couple on target comfortably saved by Aleksandar Jovanovic.
On the other side, Alilovic sent a lovely angled curler just wide on 27.
Radnicki won a spot-kick on 38 after a clumsy challenge from Djurdjevic inside the box but team skipper Aleksandar Jovanovic made a brilliant penalty-save from Ilic!
Djurdjevic received a caution just before the break.
Kovac came in for Jankovic at half-time and Aleksandar Jovanovic made another comfortable save on 51 after a weak edge-of-the-box shot from Ilic.
Djurdjevic received his second caution of the game and had to be sent-off on 54, so boss Jovanovic had to make two changes three minutes later – Kalulu coming in for Nikolic and Roganovic for Natcho.
Keeper Jovanovic had to make another save on the hour while Partizan started going forward, courtesy of fresh legs, agility and pace of Kalulu and Kovac.
On 72, Jovanovic saved long range shot from Pavlovic while Kalulu had his shot blocked for a corner-kick on 74.
Alillovic almost tricked keeper Stanivukovic with his inviting angled ball into the 6-yard box on 75 while Zubairu got cautioned on 83.
On 84 and after a left flank set-piece pass, Yurukov sent edge-of-the-box shot just wide off the left post.
Lazarevic came in for Alilovic on 84 while Ivelja headed the ball well wide on 88.
Dusan Jovanovic came in for Zubairu on 90+2 and we were in for a bit of a late drama as Radnicki had two great opportunities to equalize. Keeper Jovanovic made a brilliant save tipping the ball over the bar after a shot from Ivelja while same player headed the ball over the bar from close range in the dying seconds of the game.
Entering winter break, Partizan is comfortably second-placed, 9 points ahead of the third-placed OFK Beograd who are still to play their round 20 fixture.
