Crvena zvezda grabbed their ninth league win of the season on Sunday. Javor proved a tough opposition in the town of Ivanjica, but Miodrag Božović's team scored in all the right moments to ensure a fairly routine victory.
Ground: FK Javor
Attendance: 2.000
Referee: Milorad Mažić (Vrbas)
Goalscorers: Karišik 45', Eliomar 89' - Donald 37', Sikimić 45+1', Le Tallec 58', Ristić 90+4'.
Teams:
Javor: Đogatović, Karišik, Tomanović, Eliomar, Stojaković, Đokić, Milović, Terzić, Amanović, Spremo, Bjedov.
Substitutes: Gnjitić, Jovanović, Gafurov, M’Futila, Kolaković, Sević, Cvetković.
Crvena zvezda: Manojlović, Cvetković, Aleksandar Luković, Rendulić, Anđelković, Donald, Le Tallec, Kanga, Mouche, Srnić, Sikimić.
Substitutes: Supić, Petković, Račić, Andrija Luković, Ristić, Babunski, Vieira.
Zvezda survived a period of Javor pressure early on with the home team attacking with no fear. Đokić should have done better with a free header on 6 minutes and Manojlović produced a fantastic save midway through the first half.
Just as Javor were starting to run out of steam, Zvezda struck to take full control of the match. It was in-form Mitchell Donald who scored another of his trademark long-range efforts to delight the travelling supporters on 37 minutes.
But the match was far from over and Javor were level on 45 minutes when a ball fell kindly for Miloš Karišik after a scramble in Zvezda's box. The defender was alert to blast home from close range and make it 1-1.
But the visitors were determined to restore their lead and they've done it in injury time. Guélor Kanga played a delicious ball in the path of Predrag Sikimić. The veteran striker timed his run perfectly to just stay onside and was left with a one-on-one which he converted easily to send his team to the break with a 2-1 lead.
Second half was considerably slower, but there were still a few goals to come.
Damien Le Tallec made it 3-1 on 59 minutes with a long-range shot that took a heavy deflection on its way to the net.
Zvezda controlled the match for the reminding 30 minutes, but there was still drama late on.
Javor's Brazilian forward Eliomar finished well from a difficult position to make it 2-3 on 89 minutes and to ensure a nervy finish to the match.
But the visitors kept calm and exploited a mistake by Javor's Milović to launch a counter-attack. That man Sikimić provided a neat assist for the substitute Mihailo Ristić who finished past Đogatović to restore a two-goal cushion and secure the points.
The three points keep the red-and-whites top of the Serbian Superliga ahead of the international break.