The current Macedonian handball champion Vardar 1961 is one step closer to defending the title after defeating Eurofarm Pelister 31:24.

Vardar left at halftime with a 13-10 advantage, which with a furious start to the second half increased to 18-11 in the 36th minute.

By the end of the match, Vardar had the highest advantage of seven goals on several occasions and recorded an important victory in the battle with the direct competitor for the title.

The match started with an incident in the stands. The first half was stopped at 17 minutes, with the score 6:6, after the fans of the Bitola first league entered the hall, after which they started throwing pyrotechnics at the home crowd.

A dozen Vardar fans immediately entered the field and retaliated against Eurofarm Pelister fans with plastic bottles and hard objects, after which the referees stopped the match, and the players of both teams retreated to the dressing rooms.

The match was suspended for about half an hour and it resumed after the security in the hall and the police ensured normal playing conditions.

The return match is on May 7 in Bitola.