Vardar lead 15-12 at halftime in derby with Pelister
After 30 minutes Vardar lead 15-12 in front of a full arena; the champions have eight wins in a row and Pelister are second with seven wins and a draw.
01.11.2026 18:25 — The long-standing derby between Vardar and Pelister reached halftime in front of a full arena, with Vardar leading 15-12 after 30 minutes.
The current Macedonian champion extended an impressive streak — they entered the match on an eight-match winning run — while Pelister from Bitola sit second in the table with a record of seven wins and one draw.
Two saves by goalkeeper Valah sparked a quick Vardar burst: the hosts ran off a 3-0 sequence with two goals from Ljevar and one from Mitrović, and pushed ahead to 5-2 in the 10th minute.
Vardar 15-12 at halftime
Coach Lino Červar called a timeout and opted for a tactical switch to play a "seven-on-six" attack. Vardar reached a three-goal cushion again — 8-5 in the 16th minute — before Pelister worked their way back.
Pelister narrowed the deficit to one goal at times, capitalized on a technical mistake by the red-and-blacks, and kept the margin between one and two goals. Shortly before the 29th minute Kuzmanovski missed a seven-metre throw; at the other end Vardar converted and went into the break 15-12.
The match continues in the second half under high expectations as both sides also compete on the European stage but delivered a first half that lacked consistent tempo and finishing.
Photo: press material from the event
