Železničar Pančevo saw off Mačva 2:0 in the Super Liga's Regular Season round 9 on Friday evening. The hosts held firm after a tense opening half, and their patience paid off in the second period when Davorin Tošić struck twice to take all three points. The result leaves Železničar in tenth place on nine points, while Mačva remain eleventh after nine matches.
And here's the thing — the match had its share of drama before any goals appeared. A penalty was awarded to Železničar in the seventh minute, but VAR cancelled it after review, leaving Nikola Djuricic with nothing to show. By then, the visitors had already seen Bosko Vrastanovic booked in the eighteenth minute, and the tension only grew. Janko Jevremovic missed a penalty himself in the twenty-sixth minute, and the yellow cards kept coming: Nemanja Vidojevic, Slobodan Sladojević, Uros Tegeltija, and Đorđe Đorđić all joined the list.
Tošić finally broke the deadlock in the seventy-fourth minute, and thirty-one seconds later he doubled the lead. The striker ran on to a delivery and finished clinically both times, and by then Mačva had little left in the legs. The visitors' goalkeeper made nine saves throughout the match, but the damage was done. Tošić's brace changed the complexion of the game completely.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break. Clement Ihernault and Simão Pedro were paired together in the sixty-second minute, followed by Nikša Delibašić in the sixty-sixth. Aleksa Kuljanin and Kristian Sekularac came on together in the seventieth, and Đorđe Đorđić was replaced by Mitjar Ergelas in the seventy-fifth. Igor Ristivojević and Darko Terzić completed the changes in the seventy-ninth minute.
To be fair, the statistics told the story. Železničar enjoyed 65 percent possession, registered 28 shots with twelve on target, and created two big chances. Mačva managed just three shots, one on target, and no big chances. The visitors made 24 clearances compared to the hosts' 15 — a sign that they were under sustained pressure for long periods.
The win moves Železničar slightly ahead in the table, though both sides sit on nine points after different numbers of games. Mačva lost their recent run of consistency, having failed to win any of their last five matches across all competitions. The hosts also showed vulnerability, having lost two of their seven league games so far. But on this occasion, the visitors could not find a way back.
