Partizan win to go eight points clear in Serbia
Reuters - Wednesday 04 April 2012, 18:46
Serbian champions Partizan
Belgrade went eight points clear at the top of the first
division after coming from behind to beat nine-man Vojvodina
Novi Sad 4-1 at home in a stormy clash on Wednesday.
Closest rivals Red Star Belgrade lost ground after a 0-0
draw at Radnicki Kragujevac while bottom team Metalac Gornji
Milanovac celebrated only their second win of the season with a
3-2 defeat of fellow strugglers Borac Cacak.
Partizan fell behind to a Petar Skuletic goal and hit the
woodwork twice in the first half before Nemanja Tomic's
equaliser on the hour turned the match their way.
Vojvodina had defender Daniel Mojsov sent off before
Zvonimir Vukic converted a harshly awarded penalty and left back
Vladimir Volkov made it 3-1 with a deflected effort after
Miroslav Vulicevic was also shown a red card.
Former Yugoslavia midfielder Vukic completed the rout with
an injury-time header after Volkov's cross from the left.
"We scored four second-half goals against a very difficult
opponent, we are in good shape and this win was a result of
excellent team work," Partizan coach Avram Grant told Serbia's
Arenasport television.
"We started the game very slowly, we missed some chances
while they defended well and then took the lead with an
opportunist goal but we responded very well."
Red Star's slim hopes of winning their first league title
since 2007 took another blow after the 1991 European Cup winners
missed a hatful of chances at Kragujevac.
Striker Darko Lazovic and defender Dusko Tosic squandered
gilt-edged opportunities for Red Star, who are away to Partizan
in the second leg of their cup semi-final next week after
winning the reverse fixture 2-0.
"I can have no complaints about the level of determination
and the commitment the players showed as they did their best to
win the match but it just wasn't meant to be," said Red Star
coach Robert Prosinecki.
"It was a tough match but it left a lot to be desired and I
think it needed a more adventurous approach from both teams to
entertain the fans."