Romania round-up: Coach suffers as Dinamo draw

FC Dinamo Bucuresti coach Marin Ion suffered a suspected heart attack after watching the Divizia A leaders fight back to earn a 1-1 draw against SC Astra Ploiesti.

Five clear
Dinamo remain five points clear of FC National Bucuresti after they also drew, 1-1 at FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt, but have now gone four games without victory. Astra, who are also winless in four, remain in relegation trouble after Iulian Tames's 52nd-minute goal cancelled out Nicolae Constantin's first strike of the season for Astra in the 24th minute.

In-form keeper
The leaders pushed forward in search of a winning goal but were continually thwarted by the brilliance of Catalin Multescu, the son of Astra coach Gheorghe Multescu.

Tense encounter
National missed out on an opportunity to move within a win of Dinamo after a tense confrontation with Ceahlaul. It was the first time in ten meetings that this fixture had failed to produce a victor in Piatra Neamt, but National would have felt that they deserved the points even though they fell behind in the 70th minute to a Sergiu Brujan strike.

Spectacular goals
The visitors were back on terms within 60 seconds when Sergiu Radu drilled in a speculative effort from 16 metres. The game ended in disarray, however, as Gheorghe Stefan, the Ceahlaul president, walked on to the pitch demanding his side be awarded a penalty. The players traded punches and police had to restore order.

Rapid third
FC Rapid Bucuresti remain in third after beating FC Universitatea Craiova 3-2 in their 1,500th top-flight game. Despite missing eight players through injury, Universitatea opened the scoring in the 28th minute when the 21-year-old Bobi Verdes headed a goal after confusion in the Rapid box. Marius Sumudica levelled proceedings with another header six minutes before the break and Dennis Serban put Rapid into the lead with a goal four minutes into added time at the end of the half.

Baldovin dismissed
Referee Viorel Anghelinei sent off Unversitatea defender Adrian Baldovin in the 48th minute after the player felled Robert Ilyes in the box. Rapid captan Adrian Iencsi stepped up to make it 3-1 from the spot. The 20-year-old Stefan Grigorie reduced the arrears to 3-2 in the 65th minute but Unversitatea failed to fashion a leveller.

Otelul charge
CS Otelul Galati remain in fourth after recording their sixth victory in seven outings with a 2-1 defeat of FC Arges-Dacia Pitesti. Mihai Gurita's tenth goal of the season sent Otelul on their way in the 16th minute but Nicolae Dica equalised at the end of the first half. Danut Oprea scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute, just a minute after coming on as a substitute.

Bacau climb
FCM Bacau climbed to fifth with a 4-2 defeat of UM Timisoara and the remaining two matches - FC Brasov's home meeting with CF Gloria Bistrita 1922, and FC Farul Constanta's game with CF Sportul Studentesc - both ended goalless.