Belasica moved to the top of the Second League with a 1-0 victory over Novaki in the second round of the regular season on Saturday. The away side held their nerve against a home side that had shown flashes of promise earlier in the campaign. It was a result that extended Belasica's unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions.
Novaki remain rooted to 12th place after three games, having managed just one point from a draw and two defeats. They had looked dangerous in their 4-2 win over Pelister but have since found themselves unable to string results together. Belasica, meanwhile, are sitting comfortably in second with seven points from three matches — two wins and a draw.
The visitors had been in good form coming into this fixture. They had beaten Osogovo and Rabotnicki, and only lost to Detonit Plachkova in their previous outing. That loss had not shaken their confidence, and they came to Skopje with the belief that they could climb into first place. And here's the thing — they did exactly that.
Novaki's recent record tells a story of inconsistency. They had won three of their five most recent matches, including victories over Ohrid and Kozuv Gevgelija, but those results have not translated into points at this level. To be fair, they had been competitive in those games, but the margin between them and the teams above has remained stubbornly clear.
The table now shows Belasica leading on goal difference, with Novaki trailing by a significant margin. The gap between second and twelfth place is 22 points — a chasm that will not close without a run of results that defies the current form.