Romania round-up: Dinamo march on

Points recovered 
In this meeting of top and bottom, Dinamo recovered the points that the Romanian Football Federation had taken off them for the fixed game against FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt.

Easy for Dinamo 
Dinamo were easy winners despite the absence of three key players in Ovidiu Stanga, Florin Parvu and Mugur Bolohan. Ionel Danciulescu scored his first goal for the club following his transfer from FC Steaua Bucuresti while Claudiu Dragan and Vlad Munteanu were also on target.

Steaua can't score 
Meanwhile, Danciulescu's former team-mates drew another blank at home to FC National Bucuresti. Steaua badly missed top scorer Claudiu Raducanu, and could not break down a National team reduced to ten men by the sending-off of defender Dan Potocianu. The result, added to their 0-2 defeat by FC Universitatea Craiova, left Steaua in fourth position, two points behind second-placed National.

Rapid go third 
FC Rapid Bucuresti moved above Steaua on goal difference after a 2-1 victory against depleted FC Farul Constanta. Farul surprised the hosts by taking the lead through Christian Negru, but Rapid hit back through Adrian Iencsi and Constantin Schumacher. With UEFA Cup berths available only to the Divizia A runners-up and the FRF Cup winners, the race for second spot has taken on extra significance.

Lift for Lacatus 
Elsewhere, CS Otelul Galati underlined their candidacy for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, beating FC Gloria Bistrita. Danut Oprea's late strike divided the sides in a game marred by the dismissals of both coaches, Otelul's Marius Lacatus and Gloria's Constantin Carstea. The consolation for Lacatus is that his team climbed to sixth in the table, level with Universitatea.

Sportul struggle 
Seventh-placed Ceahlaul edged past CF Sportul Studentesc, 2-1, to leave the Bucharest club hovering just above the relegation zone. Tiberiu Serban's last-minute penalty secured the points after Laurentiu Dinita had equalised Constantin Enache's early opener for the home team.

Petrolul lose again 
FC Petrolul Ploiesti are three points worse off than Sportul, and second from bottom, after a 1-0 home defeat by FCM Bacaum, for whom Catalin Cursaru was the scorer. Petrolul have not won since 27 October, and look doomed.