Primorac Kotor produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Montenegrin rivals Jadran Herceg Novi 16-13 in a dramatic Boka Bay derby on Wednesday evening, scoring seven consecutive goals to overturn a three-goal deficit in the closing stages.
The sixth round of the Regional Premier League delivered several entertaining encounters, but the derby in Herceg Novi undoubtedly provided the biggest drama.
Fresh from an impressive Euro Cup qualification campaign in Aix-en-Provence, Primorac started strongly and established a 6-2 advantage early in the second quarter. However, Jadran responded with four unanswered goals to level the contest at 6-6.
The visitors edged ahead 7-6 at halftime, and Yusuke Inaba extended their lead immediately after the restart.
Jadran then completely reversed the momentum, producing a five-goal run to move 11-8 ahead late in the third period. The hosts appeared to have taken control, but Primorac refused to surrender.
Trailing 12-9, the Kotor side began its extraordinary comeback with a goal from Nemanja Ubovic in the final second of the third quarter.
Primorac carried that momentum into the final period, scoring six unanswered goals to complete a remarkable 7-0 run and establish a commanding 16-12 advantage with just 78 seconds remaining.
Jadran managed a late consolation goal, but the damage had already been done.
Olympic champion Nemanja Ubovic led Primorac with four goals, while Dragan Draskovic and Yusuke Inaba contributed three apiece. Goalkeeper Kralj also played an important role in the victory.
For Jadran, Stupar, Trtovic and Ukropina each scored three goals.
Novi Beograd maintain perfect record
Elsewhere, Novi Beograd continued their unbeaten start to the season with an important 10-7 away victory over Sabac.
In a contest dominated by defensive organisation, Novi Beograd gradually established control before preventing the hosts from mounting a serious comeback in the closing stages.
Vasilije Martinovic led the scoring with four goals, while Rodoljub Gajic contributed three for Sabac.
The result keeps Novi Beograd level with Radnicki at the top of the standings, with both teams collecting 18 points from their opening six matches.
Radnicki were equally impressive, overwhelming Vojvodina 27-6 in Kragujevac. Every outfield player contributed to the scoresheet, with Josip Vrlic and Andrija Prlainovic’s former teammate Aleksandar Vapenski both scoring four goals.
Buducnost edge Budva as Partizan impress
In another all-Montenegrin encounter, Buducnost secured a narrow 12-11 victory over Budva in Podgorica.
After a closely contested opening three quarters, Buducnost moved ahead through Vuskovic late in the third period before he added another goal in the final quarter to establish a decisive two-goal advantage.
Partizan also enjoyed a successful evening, defeating Valis 19-10 away from home. Kosta Bodiroga was the standout performer, scoring six goals for the Belgrade side.
Meanwhile, Nais collected their first points of the campaign with a 13-11 comeback victory against Zemun. Trailing 7-4 at halftime, the hosts recovered strongly, with Luka Pejic scoring four goals and experienced goalkeeper Igor Lazic making 17 saves.
Regional Premier League – Round 6 results
- Jadran Herceg Novi 13-16 Primorac Kotor
- Sabac 7-10 Novi Beograd
- Radnicki 27-6 Vojvodina
- Valis 10-19 Partizan
- Buducnost 12-11 Budva
- Nais 13-11 Zemun
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