Javor vs Semendrija 1924

Early in the second period (55th minute), Semendrija's Spiridonović went down in the Javor penalty area under a clear challenge from the home centre-back. Referee Ajdačić — from Ivanjica — waved play on, sparking furious protests from the away side. Hadžić and Mirković were both booked for their dissent. The decision was the defining moment of the match: had the penalty been awarded, Semendrija would have had a chance to level against a Javor side that had not yet found its rhythm.

Semendrija's best chance came when Kodžić and Čakovan exchanged a neat one-two, but Čakovan fired wide of the left post. At the other end, Mirosavljev struck the post for Javor, the ball rebounding directly into the arms of substitute goalkeeper Knežević.

Maričić doubled Javor's lead in the 100th minute with a well-struck free-kick that found the unguarded section of the net, leaving the visiting goalkeeper no chance. The goal ended any lingering hopes of a Semendrija comeback.

• Benjamin Akwa (Javor) — Opened the scoring with a deflected long-range effort that wrong-footed the goalkeeper. The international midfielder's strike was the technical highlight of the first period.
• Maričić (Javor) — Showed composure and technique to convert a free-kick from a dangerous position, effectively sealing the result.
• Jovan Mitrović (Semendrija 1924) — The captain's afternoon ended prematurely through a knee injury in the 40th minute, a significant loss that disrupted the visitors' defensive organisation.

Player of the match: Benjamin Akwa (Javor)

The match was played across 120 minutes in four 30-minute blocks, making conventional possession and shot statistics difficult to compare with standard 90-minute fixtures. The physical intensity was high for a friendly, with several stoppages for injuries — predominantly among the visitors. Javor's two shots on target both found the net (conversion rate 100%), while Semendrija's best chance (Čakovan's shot wide) was their most threatening moment of the game. The single biggest statistical inflection point was the 55th-minute penalty appeal — a non-event in the stats sheet but a moment that could have fundamentally altered the match's trajectory.

For Javor, this was a confident pre-season result against a fellow Serbian side, building momentum ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Semendrija 1924, meanwhile, suffered their second defeat of pre-season (after two wins). The visitors face their final pre-season test on Sunday against Mladost Podgorica on Zlatibor, before returning to Smederevo for the final phase of preparations.

A competitive pre-season friendly that was tighter than the 2-0 scoreboard suggests. The 55th-minute penalty that wasn't given was the decisive moment — had Semendrija levelled, the complexion of the game would have shifted entirely. Javor's clinical finishing and Maričić's set-piece quality were the difference. Semendrija will hope Mitrović's knee injury is not serious ahead of their final pre-season test.