Bashkimi's team, in front of its home crowd in Kumanovo, managed to defeat Pelister with a minimal score of 1:0. The first half of the match did not offer an exciting game, and only two serious situations were observed. First, Bulatović threatened the home goal, but without success. Bashkimi, on the other hand, used its first serious action to take the lead. In the 38th minute, after a corner kick taken by captain Alimi, defender Sumer Hasan was the highest in the jump and with a precise header scored for 1:0.
In the second half, the pace of play increased, but the heavy rain further complicated the conditions on the field. Pelister went on the offensive, and Vildan Kerim was the first to threaten, whose shot from a good position ended over the goal. Then followed the attempts of Petkovski and Spirovski from distance, but the home goalkeeper, Jašar, was up to the task.
The biggest opportunity for the equalizer was missed by the Bitola team in the 81st minute. Vildan Kerim fired a powerful shot from 18 meters, beating goalkeeper Jashar, but fortunately for the Kumanovo team, the ball ended up in the post. By the end of the match, the score remained unchanged, and Bashkimi managed to defend the three points.
With this triumph, Bashkimi now has 26 points and remains in fifth position in the table. On the other hand, Pelister with a total of 19 points remains in the dangerous relegation zone.
Bashkimi will face a tough away game against Vardar in Skopje in the next round. Pelister will host Struga's Trim Lum team at home.
