Crvena zvezda staged an extraordinary late comeback to overcome Metalac in Gornji Milanovac. The hosts looked like securing a famous victory when they took the lead on 67 minutes and managed to keep almost until the end. But Zvezda players never have up and scored twice in space of just a minute to clinch three points.
Ground: Metalac Stadium
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Novica Anđelovski
Goalscorers: Panić 67' - Orlandić 88', Adžić 89'
Teams:
Metalac: Belić, Nikodijević, Simović, Otašević, Bondarenko, Panić, Mijić, Stojković, Valberto, Stojanović, Mladenović.
Substitutes: Radić, Ivanović, Dopuđ, Rovčanin, Čumić, Pavlović, Jovanović.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Petković, Phibel, Le Tallec, Anđelković, Donald, Poletanović, Plavšić, Ristić, Srnić, Sikimić.
Substitutes: Supić, Cvetković, Stojanović, Račić, Andrija Luković, Adžić, Orlandić.
Red-and-whites started the match very well, pressing the hosts all over the pitch and passing the ball around. This resulted in a few good chances. Anđelković tested Belić early on with a shot that the goalkeeper could only parry. Srnić didn‘t get to it in time to poke home. Mitchell Donald has had long-range attempts, but his shots weren‘t on target.
It wasn‘t all good as Zvezda skipper for the day Mihailo Ristić picked up an injury and had to be replaced by the young Uroš Račić.
Zvezda goalkeeper Filip Manojlović did well to keep his net intact more than once as the host sensed that they could get something out of the match. On the other end, Sikimić missed our best chance of the first half when he shot just wide from a good position.
The match lost a bit of its momentum after the restart, and it was the home team who looked increasingly likely to open the scoring as Miodrag Božović‘s men frustratingly lacked potency in the final third.
Metalac duly got the first goal of the match on 67 minutes when Panić made the most of a scramble in Zvezda‘s box and beat Manojlović to stun the visiting fans who were in majority today.
Suprisingly, Crvena zvezda seemed unable to mount some real pressure and try to salvage something from the game. Miodrag Božović sent Orlandić and Adžić on for Sikimić and Plavšić in a bid to at least avoid defeat and those substitutions proved excellent.
The red-and-whites scored twice in just 60 thrilling seconds.
Donald played a wonderful through ball to the galloping Le Tallec and the Frenchman then crossed for Petar Orlandić to tap in from close range and make it 1-1 just two minutes from time.
But that wasn‘t the end! Petković‘s deep cross was headed on by Le Tallec. Donald picked it up in the box and tried a shot that wrong-footed Belić who could only push it away. Metalac defenders couldn‘t not clear their lines and young Luka Adžić showed great determination to get to it and hit it towards the goal. GOAL! 2-1 Zvezda! What a finish to this match!
There were no more goals and Zvezda secured the points with the fans celebrating wildly in Gornji Milanovac. Well done, Crvena zvezda!