Serbia and Montenegro round-up: Zvezda's derby joy

FK Crvena Zvezda ended FK Partizan's record-breaking 15-game Prva Savezna liga winning streak as they claimed a 2-0 victory in the Begrade derby to keep their slim title hopes alive.

Goal in each half
Second-placed Crvena Zvezda dominated the league leaders throughout the match, having not lost to Partizan for two-and-a-half years. Branko Boskovic put Crvena Zvezda into a 29th-minute lead with a header from Dragan Bogavac's cross. Bogavac turned scorer eight minutes into the second half as he latched on to defender Marjan Markovic's 50-metre pass to shoot in from 12 metres.

'A better team'
Crvena Zvezda coach Zoran Filipovic, whose team now trail Partizan by 16 points with eight games left, said: "We have proved that we are a better team then Partizan and that it is our own fault if we lack the points to reach the top spot." His opposite number Lothar Matthäus admitted: "Crvena Zvezda were the better side and they deserved this victory. I do not know what my players had in their heads, but important matches are surely not played this way."

UEFA Cup race
FK Zeleznik and OFK Beograd remain locked in the race for a UEFA Cup place after playing out a 0-0 draw. Third-placed Zeleznik kept the pressure on the side who began the day a place and a point below them, but OFK goalkeeper Sasa Stevanovic made four magnificent second-half saves to keep his side in the running.

Defeat ends Skoro reign
However, the result allowed FK Vojvodina to move ahead of OFK into fourth place after a 1-0 victory against Serbo-Montenegrin Cup finalists FK Sartid. Ljubisa Vukelja's goal after a 40th-minute counterattack boosted Voljvodina's campaign for a sixth UEFA Cup campaign - but led to the resignation of Sartid coach Jovica Skoro with his team just one place above the relegation zone.

Sutjeska chance
FK Sutjeska are only three points off third place after a 1-0 win at home to FK Zeta, while FK Radnicki Obrenovac took an important step towards avoiding relegation as they overcame FK Hajduk Kula 1-0. Ivan Popovic's long-range effort just five minutes from the end took his team up to eleventh, six points clear of sixth-bottom FK Cukaricki, who drew 2-2 with FK Obilic.

Javor hope
FK Javor Ivanjica can still avoid relegation after beating bottom side FK Radnicki Niš 2-0, but FK Rad lost ground as they drew 1-1 with FK Zemun. FK Mogren's slim hopes of survival were boosted by a 2-1 win against FK Rudar Pljevlja, courtesy of a Vlado Gluscevic double.