Rašović and Drašović bring down the champion: Radnički breaks Novi Beograd's resistance
The water polo team Radnički achieved victory in the derby of the 17th round of the Premier Regional League, as they defeated Novi Beograd 16:14 in front of their fans. Kragujevac's team managed to defeat their big rival for the first time this season, while also equalizing on the table, with the Belgrade team having a better goal difference in the head-to-head duels, as they triumphed 14:10 in the first part of the season.
The derby lived up to the expectations, with a fierce battle from the first to the last minute, and due to the importance of the match, there was tension both on and off the pool. The Novi Beograd players expressed dissatisfaction with the referee's decisions on several occasions, and due to complaints, the coach of the guests, Živko Gocić, was expelled in the final minutes of the third quarter. Prior to that, Radnički initiated a counterattack, escaping to a "+3" lead. Nikola Lukić ended the game due to three exclusions, and Gocić received a second yellow card for disputing with referee Vojin Putniković.
Toward the end of the first half, Bilal Gadamasi and Đorđe Vučinić were rightly excluded for substitutions, and in the final minutes, Dimitris Skumpakis and Miloš Ćuk were also excluded, leaving Novi Beograd with only one player on the bench. Exclusions were also distributed on the other side, but the home team had more players available in critical moments and emerged victorious.
The visiting team opened the match in a better way, taking a 2-0 lead in the fourth minute with goals from former Radnički player Nikola Lukić, and later another former "Kragujevčanin," Miloš Ćuk, scored for 3-1. The match was neck and neck until the end of the first half, when the hosts, through Nikola Murišić and Radomir Drašović, turned the score around to 9-8. In the continuation, the home team continued their streak, with Strahinja Rašović and Petar Jakšić extending the lead to a maximum of "+3" (11:8), a gap Radnički maintained until the end of the third quarter.
Novi Beograd threatened with a goal by Angelos Vlahopulos (13:12) seven minutes before the end, but Nemanja Stanojević and Filip Janković resisted the surge. However, an uncertain ending followed, as Novi Beograd narrowed the lead to 15:14 with 69 seconds remaining, but the outcome was decided by a goal from Drašović from a penalty, finalizing the score at 16:14.
For the winners, the top scorers were former Novi Beograd players Strahinja Rašović and Radomir Drašović with four goals each, followed by Nikola Jakšić with three goals. The lineup also included: Filipović, Stanojević 1, F. Janković 1, M. Janković, Pijetlović, Vasić, Gavrilović, P. Jakšić 2, Murišić, Todorovski, Dadvani.
For Novi Beograd, Vasilije Martinović, Miloš Ćuk, and Angelos Vlahopulos led with three goals each, while former Kragujevac player Nikola Lukić added two goals. Other players included: Glušac, Gadamasi, Skumpakis 1, Radović 1, Vučinić, Dimitrijević, Perković 1, De Mikelis, and Trtović.
These clubs now have the same number of points, with Novi Beograd currently holding the advantage in goal difference and head-to-head performance. Jadran will have the opportunity to equalize with the Serbian clubs at the top when they host the ninth-placed Jug in Herceg Novi. On Saturday, Mladost will face Primorac (19:00), while Solaris will play against Šabac (19:00) and Primorje against Valis (19:30). In the final match of the 17th round, Red Star will host Jadran from Split on Sunday at 4 PM, with Jadran currently in fourth place with 38 points.
