The red and whites reached Serbian Cup semi final after an eventful 2-1 at Inđija. Ben and Ivanić assisted to each other and scored as well to give Zvezda a 2-0 lead that would prove decisive despite a late consolation from Inđija's Jovanović.
Ground: FK Inđija.
Attendance: 800.
Referee: Lazar Lukić.
Goalscorers: Jovanović 87' - Ivanić 35', Ben 38'
Inđija: Preković, Cucin, Mihajlov, Jovanović, Krasić (79' Dimitrijević), Bastajić (60' Milosavljev), Banjac (60' Dimitrov), Purtić (85' Bosančić), Ilić (79' Marković), Čermelj, Vidić.
Substitutes: Knežević, Dimitrijević, Bosančić, Marković, Dimitrov, Jovanović, Milosavljev.
Crvena zvezda: Borjan, Gobeljić, Milunović, Degenek, Rodić (85' Pankov), Petrović, Jovančić , Ben, Ivanić (85' Gavrić), Vukanović (69' Jovičić), Pavkov (62' Tomane).
Substitutes: Popović, Pankov, Babić, Jovičić, Gavrić, Tomane, Boakye.
Our team started the match brightly and had early chances through Ivanić and Pavkov. The soggy pitch proved a constant annoyance as both teams struggled to complete passes. Dejan Stanković's men tried to lift the ball and this aproach paid dividends. Degenek put his header just over the bar on 9 minutes and Rodić volleyed just off from a Ben's clever cross.
Milan Borjan was called upon on 21 minutes as Čermelj powered a headed effort on target, but our captain produced a fine reflex save to deny hosts a lead. But it was Ben and Mirko Ivanić who really shone and created problems for the green and whites. Ben bamboozled them with a mazy run on the half hour mark but could dragged his shot just off the target. It would have been a magnificent goal!
Zvezda finally got the lead on 35 minutes and it was a peach of a goal. Ben crossed from the right hand side and Mirko Ivanić timed his run perfectly and steered his header from the narrowest of angles across Preković and find the net. The in-form midfielder returned the favour to Ben just three minutes on. Ivanić swung a cross in for Ben to dink it past Preković and double the lead. Njegoš Petrović nearly added the third shortly, but his rocket of a shot curled just off.
Aleksa Vukanović had a couple of chances after the break as he combined well with Pavkov upfront. Two big forwards bullied the Inđija defence with their movement and sheer strength, but couldn't make it count in front of opposition's goal. Vukanović went the closest on 65 minutes as he controlled a pass from Ben and fired only to see his shot bounce off the stanchion.
Ivanić had the ball in the net on 77 minutes, but it was chalked off for alledged offside. The hosts scored three minutes from time, but Zvezda never looked like surrendering the lead and the final whistle was greeted with cheers from the fans.
The win saw us move a step closer to the final. We are still on course for the Double.