Mornar edge past Berane in tight opener
Berane and Mornar met in the Prva-liga on Sunday, with the visitors taking a narrow 21-20 victory in an opening round that lived up to expectations. By then it was clear this would be a close affair, and the final score reflected that. The result leaves both sides level on the board as the new campaign gets underway.
We had backed the hosts at 59 per cent confidence, but as it turned out the away side pulled it off. The match didn't go our way, and without going into detail, Mornar simply held their nerve in the closing stages when it mattered most. That sort of thing doesn't announce itself until the final whistle.
On paper the table looks identical for both teams: one game played, no wins, one draw, no losses, zero points. The season has barely begun, so the standings tell us very little at this stage. What matters more is the form coming in, and both sides carried mixed results from previous encounters.
Berane's recent run included a heavy 48-36 defeat to Lovčen and a 29-17 loss to Budvanska, while Mornar suffered a 37-28 hammering from Sutjeska Nikšić and a 31-30 loss to Rudar. Neither side arrived with momentum, which perhaps explains the tight nature of this meeting.
The result means Mornar start the season with three points while Berane remain on zero. It's early days, but the visitors have already taken the early advantage in this fixture. The rest of the campaign will reveal whether this was a one-off or a sign of things to come.