EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP B - GAME ELEVEN

Serbia ran in 11 tries to claim the European Championship B title, in a match played on the Ukraine-Hungarian border as part of the URLF’s plan to spread the sport in Zakarpattia Oblast and Uzhhorod in the west of the country.

The visitors, defeated only once in the competition, started strongly, Stevan Stevanovic with the first break and Djordje Gak opening scoring in the second minute.

Dalibor Vukanovic missed the goal but centre Stevanovic went over for the first of an opening period, genuine hat-trick soon after, Vojislav Dedic goaling and adding a penalty.

Dorćol’s Stevanovic completed his feat on the half hour to take it to 22-0, Milos Calic, Vladislav Dedic and Stefan Nedeljkovic all going over before the break; Vojislav Dedic with three more conversions to make it 40-0.

Ukraine - with the crowd still very much behind them - made a more determined start to the second period and dominated the opening 10 minutes, having four sets on the Serbian line, but they failed to break the strong visiting defence, Pero Madzarevic going down the other end to score in the 53rd minute.

Stevanovic was then forced from the field with a fractured hand, the hosts capitalising when their best player, back-rower Mikhail Troyan sent in Nikolai Shalaev, Andrei Bashevski missing the conversion.

Second tries to loose-forward Nedeljkovic and Gak and a late score to full-back Milos Zogovic eased the Serbians home, Vojislav Dedic finishing with ten goals.

Veteran Serbian captain Dalibor Vukanović said: “It is a wonderful feeling to lift silverware and reward for the consistent way we have played over the past two years. We wanted to finish in style and we did, it was a terrific performance, you could see from our determination in the first half how well prepared and motivated we were.”

He added: “We can now look forward to the World Cup Qualifiers next year with confidence. We know that the level will be extremely tough but, thanks to the hard work of so many in the country, we have proved that we can play at this higher level.

“Let the celebrations begin.”

UKRAINE
Vadim Polyuhovich, Svyatoslav Аndreichenko, Nikolai Shalaev, Dmitrii Kravets, Bogdan Vepryk, Pavel Kardakov, Andrii Bashevskyi, Aleksandr Kozak, Dmitrii Semerenko, Vladimir Karpenko, Ostap Grischenko, Evgenii Тrusov, Mykhailo Troyan, Nazar Semion , Aleksandr Scherbina, Valentin Koval, Aleksandr Sivokov

SERBIA
Milos Zogovic, Djordje Gak, Milos Calic, Stevan Stevanovic, Milos Djurkovic, Vojislav Dedic, Dalibor Vukanovic, Vlado Kusic, Vladislav Dedic, Nikola Srbljanin, Miodrag Tomic, Pero Madzarevic, Stefan Nedeljkovic, Djordje Stosic, Stefan Ilic, Aleksa Radic, Dzavid Jasari