Sileks drew 2:2 with Bregalnica Štip on Sunday in the seventh round of the First League, a result that leaves both sides hovering in the middle of the table. The hosts had been favourites on paper, but the match refused to follow the script, and here's the thing — it was the own goal that set the tone rather than any tactical setup.
B. Hadzi-Kimov's own goal in the seventh minute put Sileks ahead early, and for a while it looked like the home side would control proceedings. But to be fair, Bregalnica never panicked, and they waited for their moment. M. Stojanov restored the lead for Sileks in the forty-ninth minute, and suddenly the away side needed to respond.
N. Mascoe levelled in the sixty-seventh minute, and by then the match had changed shape. The away side came from behind to take the lead through A. Mishov in the eighty-first minute, and Sileks were left chasing. Three yellow cards in quick succession around the hour mark suggested the tension was building, but neither side could find a winner.
Sileks dominated possession at 63 per cent and fired 15 shots, but only six found the target. Bregalnica were sharper, hitting 71 per cent accuracy on their five efforts on frame. It was a classic case of quantity not matching quality, and the visitors carried the side when it mattered most.
The draw keeps Sileks in sixth place on eight points from seven games, while Bregalnica remain eighth with seven. Both teams have two wins and three defeats so far, and this result means neither can afford to drop points again. We had tipped a home win at 79 per cent confidence, but the match went the other way — and it was that second-half shift that broke the prediction.
