Ohrid saw off Gorno Lisiche 2:1 in the fifth round of the Second League on Saturday afternoon. The hosts opened their campaign with a win and have kept that form intact, while the visitors remain rooted near the bottom after five matches. A routine result on paper, but the scoreline told a different story.
And here's the thing — we had Ohrid to win this one, and the confidence was around 54 per cent. It was not a bold call, given where both sides were coming in. Ohrid had lost two of their previous five games, but they had beaten Neskopje 2:1 in their last outing. Gorno Lisiche had only managed one victory all season, that 4:0 over Skupi 1927 on the road. To be fair, the gap in quality showed through.
The hosts took control early and did not let the tie slip. They worked a short corner in the opening stages and got in behind the visitors' defence with some regularity. Gorno Lisiche got dragged out of position more than once, and by then the momentum was clear. The visitors did not create much, and when they did, the home keeper had little to do.
There were no shots or possession figures available, and that tells you something. Often when the stats are missing, it means the game was decided before the numbers could catch up. Ohrid ran the show for long spells, and the goal difference — two goals — does not fully reflect their dominance.
For Ohrid, this is a fourth straight win in all competitions when you count the earlier results. They sit top of the table with 12 points from four games. No draws, no losses. A clean sheet would have been nice, but the three points are what matters.
Gorno Lisiche remain 12th with just three points from five matches. They have lost four of their last five league games, and the pattern is worrying. They will make life awkward for anyone who expects them to bounce back soon.