Borac hold firm to derail Lokomotiv

Serbian side FK Borac came from a goal down in Bulgaria to complete an aggregate victory over PFC Lokomotiv Sofia and reach the UEFA Cup first round.

Crucial penalty
Boban Stojanović's 36th-minute penalty made the difference, levelling the scores on the night after Lokomotiv striker Dimo Atanasov had cancelled out Borac's slender first-leg lead after 18 minutes of this second qualifying round decider. Borac then had to resist intense pressure from opponents who were left chasing two goals to progress.

Early equaliser
Lokomotiv had seemed to be back on track in the tie when the unmarked Atanasov hit a lot shot past Borac keeper Branko Grahovac early in the first half. However, Viktor Spisic missed a chance to put the Railwaymen 2-0 up and the hosts were made to pay when Ivo Ivanov was penalised for a foul on Igor Grkajac – Stojanović made no mistake from the spot.

Off the post
Lokomotiv continued to dominate despite the setback but the team from Cacak rode their luck. Viktor Spisic, Daniel Bogdanovic and Vanja Dzaferovic all might have scored before half-time; after the interval, an increasingly desperate Lokomotiv struck the post through Daniel Mitev. However, resilient Borac, who rattled the crossbar themselves through Darko Lazovič, were not to be denied.