Monday, August 27, 2012

Macedonian 1st division - August 19/12 - Turnovo 3 Shkendija 2









Macedonian 1st division - August 19th, 2012
Horizont Turnovo 3 Shkendija 2
Attendance - 250
Admission - 50 denars

Turnovo is located about 10km to the east of Strumica.  The village isn't that easy to reach if you don't have your own car, but a taxi from Strumica costs 150 denars one way (about 3 euros).  It is also possible to take a bus, but the schedule isn't always clear.  Another possibility is to take one of the local vans that stop near the centre in Strumica, but a taxi is by far the easiest option.

Only around 1,000 people live in the village which has to make Turnovo one of the smallest places in Europe to have a first division side.  The club was formed in 1950, but it wasn't until recently that they have enjoyed a good run of fortune.  A new sponsor, Horizont, took over in 2008, and it enabled Turnovo to get into the first division.

The stadium is basic, as is to be expected.  Perhaps there are three or four rows of seats which go along one side of the pitch.  Recently a cover was put over the seats.  The local crowd was quite up for the game against Shkendija (Tetovo) who have been one of the better sides in Macedonian football over the past few years.  They are also a ethnically Albanian side.

Shkendija showed their dominance over Turnovo early on and took a 2-0 lead in the 50th minute.  However, after the goal it was the hosts who found their legs and turned the game around. They eventually tied the game at 2-2, and in injury time they found a dramatic winner.

Below you can find a video of the last goal -


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