The Derby of Tetovo opened the second half-season with Shkendija coming out on top, table leaders Vardar trashed Sileks, while Rabotnichki and Breglanica celebrated minimal wins over Turnovo and Pelister, respectively.
Shkendija was made to work in the narrow win over in-city rival Teteks in one of the most hated derbies in Macedonia. If they won 5:0 in the first meeting, this time it was tight with just a 2:1 win. Shkendija opened the score through Bojan Vručina via a penalty after keeper Vanche Manchevski fouled him inside the box. The Red&Blacks controlled most of the possession, while the Blues were trying to rely on counter attacks. Substitute Hristijan Kirovski doubled the lead one minute after entering the pitch with an easy finish from close range, while Teteks got back in game in the 87th minute when Ermedin Adem converted a penalty kick. Earlier, Teteks also had a goal disallowed for offside in what looked to be very close. The late goal by Teteks made the final moments very interesting, but the game eventually ended 2:1.
Leaders Vardar started furiously in Kratovo, scoring three goals in the opening 20 minutes. The title favorites stopped there as they seemed satisfied with the lead over Sileks, a team who suffered their third home defeat this season.
Second-placed Rabotnichki grabbed a hard-fought 1:0 win over Turnovo in Skopje. It was Darko Velkovski who scored the lone goal on a header after a good cross by Milan Ilievski some 13 minutes into the second half. Rabotnichki remained three points behind Vardar, and five points ahead of third placed Shkendija.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=35BFHXwDITQ
In Bitola, the new team of Pelister disappointed their fans. The Green&White team recorded a loss against their direct rival for relegation, Bregalnica from Shtip. The visitors scored through striker Lazar Iliev after only 11 minutes of play. In the end, that goal by their new winter signing is worth a valuable 3 points. With this win, Bregalnica is still second from last, but now trails Pelister by only 2 points.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=B-B8TehZ6qo
The last game of this round is scheduled for tomorrow when Renova welcomes Metalurg in Tetovo.
Pelister – Bregalnica 0:1 (0:1)
11′ Lazar Iliev
Sileks – Vardar 0:3 (0:3)
12′ Filip Ivanovski, 14′, 18′ Dejan Blazhevski
Rabotnichki – Turnovo 1:0 (0:0)
58′ Darko Velkovski
Teteks – Shkendija 1:2 (0:1)
87′ (pen) Ermedin Adem – 24′ (pen) Bojan Vručina, 71′ Hristijan Kirovski
Monday at 14.00 CET:
Renova vs. Metalurg