Romania round-up: Sportul take play-off advantage

CF Sportul Studentesc’s future in the top flight looks assured after a 3-0 win at FC Cimentul Fieni on Saturday.

Top-flight experience
In the first leg of their promotion/relegation play-off, the young Sportul players’ Divizia A experience showed as they overcame their opponents, who finished second in the first group of the Romanian second division.

Nervous moments
There were a few nervous moments for Sportul in the early stages and Cimentul felt they should have had a penalty after ten minutes, but the referee waved play on.

Sportul take command
The decision seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side, who had never qualified for a play-off before, and Sportul took control. Tiberiu Balan opened the scoring for Sportul after 36 minutes and four minutes later, Ionut Mazilu added a second.

Three-goal advantage
The visitors continued to press in the second half but had to wait until two minutes into added time to reap their reward in the form of a goal from Laurentiu Dinita as they took a three goal advantage into the second leg of the tie in Bucharest.

Tense encounter
Things will be much tighter in the other play-off game with Divizia A’s bottom side FC Farul Constanta having only a one-goal advantage to take into the away leg of their tie with FC Baia Mare – who were runners-up in the second group of the Romanian second division.

Voicu header
Adrian Voicu scored with a header from Constantin Dicu’s 35th-minute corner but Farul should really have made more of their chances in the remainder of the game and may be left to rue Liviu Mihai’s 39th-minute penalty miss.

Tight second leg
Interestingly, both Farul and Baia Mare won promotion to Divizia A in 2001 but Baia Mare elected to sell their place in the top flight to FCM Bacau. They could yet earn a place in the top flight if they can beat Farul by two goals in the second leg of their play-off on Wednesday.