Promotion play-off: Pobeda beats Borec to stay in 1.MFL

Pobeda defeated Borec in the final play-off and won a place in the Macedonian top flight for next season.

photo by Filip Zdraveski: Pobeda takes a corner kick in the second half

Eight-placed in the first league Pobeda faced Borec, the winner of the first round play-off. They eliminated Gostivar on penalties on Monday in the match between the two second-placed teams in the two second league groups.

Pobeda started attacking right from the kick-off. They took two corners in the opening two minutes and in the 8th minute broke the dead lock. Montenegrin international Ivan Ivanović fired a great shot from right that ended in the top left angle leaving keeper Gjorgievski powerless.

Borec needed time to recover from the goal and eventually started attacking. However, it was Pobeda who scored again. They used a counter attack in the 29th minute and doubled the lead through Viktor Velkoski.

Being 2:0 down didn’t stop the Borec players to try to score, but simply they could not make the final shot. In the 41st minute Pobeda missed a great chance for a third goal. Filip Najdovski headed the ball after a corner kick, but keeper Gjorgievski made a brilliant save.

Borec’s best chance came in the first minute of the injury time when Robert Kocev fired a shot from inside the box, but there were too many opponents on the goal line and someone managed to deny the goal.

Immediately after the end of the first half there was a huge brawl that luckily did not end in a fight. But, the referee had to award three yellow cards, one for Borec and two for Pobeda.

Borec took the initiative after the break which eventually lead to a goal. In the 56th minute Andrej Kudijan went one on one with Darko Tofiloski and scored.

Borec kept trying but failed to score an equalizer so Pobeda remains in the first league thanks to the 2:1 victory.

During the injury time a fight broke out between the two teams which resulted into straight red cards for scorers Kudijan and Velkoski. Additionally, veteran player Blagoja Geshoski rushed from the bench to join the fight and was also shown the red card.

Mladost stadium in Strumica Macedonia
Pobeda – Borec 2:1 (2:0)
Goals: 8′ Ivan Ivanović, 29′ Viktor Velkoski – 56′ Andrej Kudijan
Pobeda: 1. Darko Tofiloski (C); 3. Aleksandar Isaevski (83′ 19. Darko Ilieski), 2. Nikola Jaćimović, 8. Blagoja Spirkoski, 5. Filip Najdovski, 21. Jordancho Naumoski, 14. Viktor Velkoski, 18. Aljtin Loga, 17. Zoran Danoski, 7. Ivan Ivanović (81′ 4. Hristijan Petreski), 11. Daniel Karcheski (58′ 10. Nove Aceski).
Borec: 1. Mikica Gjorgievski; 23. Nikola Risteski, 4. Darko Ilovski (C), 5. Oliver Stoimenovski, 17. Toni Mirchevski (46′ 18. Trajche Trajkov), 20. Andrej Acevski, 7. Gjorgji Gjorgjiev (63′ 19. Marko Gjorgjievski) , 8. Robert Kocev, 10. Kristijan Nikolovski (71′ 21. Kristijan Ackovski), 9. Andrej Kudijan, 11. Darko Jocikj.
Yellow cards: Ivanović, Jaćimović, Najdovski, Tofiloski, Spirkoski, Danoski (P), Risteski, Nikolovski (B)
Red cards: 90’+3 Andrej Kudijan (B), 90’+3 Viktor Velkoski (P); bench: 90’+7 Blagoja Gjeshoski (P)
Referee: Dejan Jakimovski (Skopje)

Click here to view the photo gallery of the match.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *