Romania round-up: Arad and Sportul relegated

FC UTA Arad and CF Sportul Studentesc have been relegated from the Romanian First Division after defeats by FC Rapid Bucuresti and FC Steaua Bucuresti respectively.

UTA denied
Rapid, who clinched the title last weekend, defeated UTA 3-0 to end the away side's hopes of claiming a relegation play-off. Florin Bratu opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, Valentin Badoi doubled the lead in the 59th minute and Danut Perja rounded off the victory in the closing stages.

Valiant effort
Sportul, for their part, mounted a valiant effort to secure the play-off berth but could not avoid demotion after a 4-3 defeat by Steaua, who were 2-0 up when Daniel Oprita scored the first on the half-hour and Claudiu Raducanu increased the advantage soon after.

Prolific Raducanu
Cristian Irimia pulled one back a minute into the second half from distance and Laurentiu Dinita converted a penalty to equalise. Dinita made it 3-2 to the away side in the 62nd minute but Gabriel levelled and Raducanu finally put paid to Sportul's hopes with his 21st goal of the season late on.

Oprea decisive
CS Otelul Galati, however, defeated FCM Bacau 1-0 away to maintain their own attempt to go into the play-offs. Danut Oprea scored the only goal of the game on the counterattack, while Catalin Cursaru's header for the home side in the dying minutes hit the crossbar.

Danciulescu opener
FC Politehnica AEK Timisoara, meanwhile, were defeated 2-1 by FC Dinamo Bucuresti. Ionel Danciulescu's 14th-minute bicycle kick gave his side the lead, which was doubled immediately afterwards through Florentin Petre. A goal with six minutes to go from Constantin Voicu proved little consolation.

Arges triumph
FC Arges-Dacia Pitesti, in tenth place, defeated FC Farul 2-1 thanks to a goal deep into injury time from Adrian Iordache. The visitors went into the lead courtesy of a tenth minute free-kick from Neculai Tanasa but a header from Dragos Radu had levelled the scores.

Comfortable wins
Elsewhere, FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt defeated FC Universitatea Craiova 3-0 with two goals from Tiberiu Serban and another from Sergiu Brujan. CF Gloria Bistrita 1922 brushed aside FC National Bucuresti by the same score with Lucian Sanmartean on the scoresheet also finding the net. Astra Ploiesti overcame FC Brasov 1-0, thanks to a 56th-minute goal from Marius Irimescu.