August 21, 2021
Saturday August 21, 2021
FK Sutjeska 3-1 FK Iskra Danilovgrad ( att : 300 )
Janjic ( 15 & 18 ), Markovic ( 88 ); Sekulic ( 2 )
OFK Petrovac 4-3 FK Rudar Pljevlja ( att : 350 )
Milikovic ( 56 ), Mikijelj ( 68 ), Divanovic ( 92 ), Basic ( 97 ); Zakaria ( 20 ), Zivkovic ( 35 ), Strikovic ( 82 )
FK Podgorica 0-0 FK Zeta Golubovci ( att : 100 )
FK Mornar 1-0 FK Jezero ( att : 350 )
Cetkovic ( 60 )
FK Decic Tuzi 2-2 FK Buducnost ( att : 300 )
Kojasevic ( 62 ), Camaj ( 73 ); Kordic ( 20 ), Dukanovic ( 34 )
After 5 rounds of the season, FK Sutjeska topped the table of the Montenegrin First League with a 100% record, The 2018/19 champions had finished a distant runner-up in 2020/21, a massive 28 points behind Buducnost, but look to be making a serious attempt to regain the title.
Sekulic’s second minute opener for Iskra, a left footed finish after an incisive through ball by Tucevic, was the first goal conceded by Sutjeska this season. Montenegrin Under 21 midfield playmaker Nikola Janjic equalised in the 15th minute when Iskra keeper Kordic flapped at a cross from the left wing and the ball bounced off Janjic’s shoulder and into the net.
Janjic was also on target three minutes later, shooting left footed from a tight angle after being put clear down the left channel. Again Kordic could have done better. Iskra got to the interval without any further damage as the Niksic based side took control.
However, Iskra looked much better in the second half. Pavilcevic struck the crossbar after a crossed was punched to him just outside the penalty area, and Sekulic sided footed wide from 4 yards with the goal at his mercy. Janjic though could have claimed a hat-trick, but after skilfully beating his marker, shot against the keeper’s body when in time and space from 8 yards. Veteran Bozo Markovic, the league’s top scorer last season should have clinched the victory for Sutjeska but blazed well over the bar when put clear, but he made amends two minutes from time by latching onto Vukovic’s reverse pass, rounding the keeper and finishing left footed from a very tight angle.
Iskra only survived last season by winning a relegation/promotion play-off and were unbeaten in their first three matches. They have now lost two on the trot though.
OFK Petrovac only avoided relegation by winning their relegation/promotion play-off on penalties, the second consecutive season they had survived this way. However, they have had a much more promising start to this season, having taken 10 points from their 5 games so far, but they needed two goals in added on time to reverse a deficit and overcome FK Rudar.
Ghanian striker Zakaria Suraka slid in to give Rudar the lead and Zivkovic took advantage of a defensive lapse to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break. Petrovac fought back though, Milikovic was given time to turn and shoot from 14 yards to pull a goal back, and Mikijelj rose above everyone to head home a corner to make it 2-2.
Strikovic’s deft chip with the outside of his right foot with 8 minutes remaining looked to be the match winner for Rudar. However, with the clock in the red, slack marking left Divanovic free at the back post to chest down and slam the equaliser into the roof of the net. Rudar’s hearts were then broken as Basic headed home from close range, leaving the visitors to rue some basic defensive errors.
FK Decic were the surprise of the 2020/21 season, finishing third after being promoted from the second level and they have continued the good form into the new season with three wins and two draws. Champions FK Buducnost have been off the pace so far, having performed badly in Europe and gathered just 4 points from 4 games in the league, having lost at Iskra, drawn at home with Mornar and now dropped points at Decic.
The champions began well and dominated the first half, and perhaps deserved more than just Kordic’s scrambled prod and Dukanovic’s fantastic header. It could have been 5 or 6 at the interval. Decic made two changes at half-time, including the appearance of Drasko Bozovic, the top scorer for Buducnost last season, and the pattern of the game changed. Despite that Buducnost continued to miss good chances, and Kojasevic punished these extravagances by sweeping home from the edge of the area on the hour mark.
Cheered on by their noisy supporters Decic pressed for an equaliser which came 18 minutes from time. Buducnost failed to deal with a corner and surrounded by 4 defenders Illr Camaj back heeled into the net from inside the 6 yard box. With the tide in their favour Decic looked for the winner, but were unable to convert three good chances and in the end had to settle for a point.
FK Podgorica finished fourth in 2020/21 although their form slumped alarmingly after Christmas, and their 0-0 draw with FK Zeta was their first point of the season. Saleta Kordic struck 10 times last season before being injured, and is clearly being missed after transferring to Buducnost. Zeta were a disappointing 6th last season, and have won just two points so far this season.
Vukcevic and Dinovic both missed great chances for Zeta in the first half. After a promising beginning, the match drifted into stalemate, although Podgorica could have snatched a winner late in the second half, but Zeta keeper Bozovic made decent saves to deny headers from Krivokapic and Pejovic.
Newly promoted FK Mornar have made a flying start to the season, and their 1-0 win over FK Jezero took them to second in the table with 4 wins out of five and the only dropped points coming from a visit to champions Buducnost. After a fifth place finish last season, Jezero appear to be suffering from second season syndrome with just one point and one goal.
Mornar probably deserved to win by more than just Marko Cetkovic’s calm finish after being put 1:1 with the keeper. The 35 year old midfielder was previously a mainstay at Sutjeska, but has now scored three times already for his new side.
European Update
Champions Buducnost had a torrid European campaign. Losing overall to HJK Helsinki in the Champions League qualifiers might have been expected, but the 1-7 aggregate score-line was extremely disappointing. Dropping down to the Europa Conference, losing 0-4 and 0-2 to HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands was humiliating.
At least Sutjetska waived the flag for Montenegro, getting past FC Gagra of Georgia 2-1 on aggregate, although it has to be said that Gagra are in the Second Division in Georgia but qualified by winning the Georgian Cup. In the second round Sutjetska earned a creditable 0-0 home draw with Maccabi Tel Aviv but lost the return 1-3 in Israel
Podgorica also won a match, winning 1-0 at home to Laci from Albania, but exited 1-3 on aggregate after losing in extra time in Albania. Decic exited at the first hurdle, losing 1-2 to Drita in Kosovo, and failed to overturn the deficit, losing 0-1 at home.
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