Radnički Surdulica beat Cukaricki 3-1 in the Super Liga regular season on Saturday, a result that keeps them above the mid-table line while the visitors drop further behind. By then the hosts had already built a cushion, though the match was far from settled when the clock ticked past the forty-fifth minute.
Martin Novakovic opened the scoring in the eighth minute, a sharp finish that caught the defence off guard. And here's the thing — Cukaricki equalised quickly enough, with Vukasin Bogdanovic converting a penalty in the twenty-third minute. The visitors looked comfortable for a spell, but Bogdanovic added a second just after the half-hour mark, and the momentum shifted.
Marko Docić made it three in the fifty-first minute, and that goal effectively killed the contest. Radnički brought on Uroš Nikolić, Strahinja Anđelić and Andrej Bajovic at the break, fresh legs for a game that was settling into a rhythm. Cukaricki pushed forward, but the hosts held every card after that.
The statistics tell a story of possession without penetration. Cukaricki had 52 per cent of the ball and 95 attacks, yet they finished with six shots on target against four for the hosts. To be fair, the visitors created one big chance each, but the difference was in the final third — Radnički's shots accuracy sat at 36 per cent, while Cukaricki managed only 33.
Late drama arrived when a VAR penalty was awarded in the ninety-first minute, and Ayouba Kosiah received a red card a minute later. Marko Docić missed the spot-kick, but the damage was done. Radnički move to sixth place on 11 points from seven games, while Cukaricki sit eighth with 10 points after eight matches.
