LESKOVAC, Serbia (Interstat) — L. Stojanovic scored in the 18th minute and Dubocica made that goal stand for a 1-0 home win over Smederevo on Friday in a Serbian Prva Liga match. Dubocica improved its season record in this competition to 6 wins, 5 losses and 4 draws, matching its overall record across all competitions. Smederevo fell to 7 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws in this competition, also matching its overall mark across all competitions. The home side protected the narrow advantage through a tense second half and finished with a clean sheet.

The decisive moment came early. Stojanovic found the opener in the 18th minute, giving Dubocica a lead it never surrendered. The goal stood as the only scoring play of the match. Smederevo, which had scored in several recent matches, could not produce an equalizer. Dubocica’s defense and midfield held firm after the break, and Smederevo’s attempts to push forward did not produce a goal. The visitors were left to chase the game after the interval.

The match grew physical after the goal. Vranjanin M. of Smederevo was booked in the 24th minute, and Dubocica’s Novakovic M. followed in the 26th. Bezarevic P. of Dubocica received a yellow card in the 30th, and Smederevo’s Mitrovic S. was cautioned in the 34th. Those first-half bookings set a chippy tone. In the 75th minute Dubocica’s Fara M. was booked, and Smederevo’s Orescanin M. was cautioned in the 90+3rd minute. The six yellow cards were split evenly between the teams.

Smederevo made two changes at the start of the second half, with Joseph T. and Rmus B. entering in the 46th minute. Kodzic N. followed in the 64th. Dubocica responded with Ljubenovic M. in the 68th, Fara M. in the 76th and Bezarevic P. in the 83rd. Smederevo’s Preradov A. came on in the 89th. The changes gave both sides different options, but the scoreline did not move.

The result continued a crowded Prva Liga campaign. Smederevo had entered after a home draw with Proleter 023, while Dubocica was coming off a road loss at Napredak. Smederevo’s recent run also included home wins over Vozdovac and Vrsac and a 4-1 win at Krusevac, but it had lost at Loznica. Smederevo had also beaten Sp. Subotica at home, lost at Ub, lost at home to Javor, drawn at TSC and drawn at home with Teleoptik. Dubocica had beaten Sp. Subotica at home, drawn at Jedinstvo U., drawn with Javor and lost at Napredak. Dubocica had also drawn at TSC, lost at Metalac and lost at home to Bor.

Both teams return to Prva Liga action in their next fixtures, with Smederevo scheduled to visit Borac 1926 and Dubocica set to host Vozdovac. Smederevo’s following matches include a home game with Graficar Beograd and a trip to Bor, while Dubocica is set to visit Loznica and host Naftagas. Dubocica’s overall record remains 6 wins, 5 losses and 4 draws, and Smederevo’s overall record is 7 wins, 4 losses and 4 draws. Smederevo will look to regroup on the road, while Dubocica will carry the clean sheet into its next home match.

Before the match, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Smederevo 2, Dubocica 1, and Interstat’s ELO system projected Dubocica with a 59.4 percent probability to win.