Rabotnichki rolled in Tetovo over Renova, Turnovo and Pelister picked up hard fought wins, Shkendija buried the last hope of survival for Makedonija GjP, while Vardar – Metalurg was postponed.
The most interesting game of the round between Metalurg and Vardar never kicked-off. Due to the heavy rains that hit Skopje overnight, the pitch at the Zhelezarnica stadium was flooded (see photo) and unplayable. The match is rescheduled for tomorrow, but only if the hosts manage to make the field suitable for football.
Table leaders Rabotnichki not only managed three points in Tetovo against Renova, but they humiliated their opponent by scoring 6 goals. After a 2:0 lead at half-time, Rabotnichki added to it with four more goals in the second half. Kire Markoski celebrated a hat-trick, while Bazhe Ilijoski, Borche Manevski and Petar Petrov each scored one goal apiece. For Renova, Ardjent Gafuri scored a brace. In the 73rd minute, Renova went down to 10 men as keeper Saladin Mustafi was shown a red card. After the six goals, Rabotnichki has now notched the most goals in the league, overtaking Turnovo.
Pelister, without few regular players, struggled but eventually prevailed in front of their own fans by edging struggling side Gorno Lisiche 1:0. The only goal was scored by defender Hristijan Dragarski midway through the opening half to give the Green&White a much needed 3 points to stay in the race at the top of the standings.
Furthermore, Turnovo also had problems with the already relegated team of Gostivar. Milan Svojić brought the lead to Turnovo 10 minutes before the half-time break, but surprisingly Gostivar equalized in the 67th minute. Turnovo then needed a late game winner which Svojić delivered in the 89th minute.
Shkendija won away to Makedonija GjP and practically ended their opponent’s dream of surviving in the First League. Stênio Júnior scored twice, while Bojan Vručina added one goal to help Shkendija hand Makedonija GjP its 16th defeat. With just 5 rounds to go, the Lions are 10 points behind the safe zone and they have miniscule chances of avoiding the drop.
In the final game, Bregalnica had no problems with the already relegated Napredok. One goal apiece by Angel Nacev, Riste Naumov and Riste Markoski was enough for 3 points. Just as important, Bregalnica is now 7 points ahead of 9th ranked Gorno Lisiche, the last position that leads to relegation this season.
Pelister – Gorno Lisiche 1:0 (1:0)
22′ Hristijan Dragarski
Renova – Rabotnichki 2:6 (0:2)
50′, 67′ Ardjent Gafuri – 7′ Bazhe Ilijoski, 21′, 46′, 56′ Kire Markoski, 63′ Borche Manevski, 83′ Petar Petrov
Gostivar – Horizont Turnovo 1:2 (0:1)
67′ Eshtref Dehari – 35′, 89′ Milan Svojić
Napredok – Bregalnica 1:3 (0:1)
73′ Gjore Mihajloski – 27′ Angel Nacev, 45′ Riste Naumov, 71′ Riste Markoski
Makedonija Gjorche Petrov – Shkendija 1:3 (0:1)
90’+3 Jasmin Mecinovikj – 39′, 84′ Stênio Júnior, 65′ Bojan Vručina
Sunday at 15.00 CET:
Metalurg vs. Vardar