League

Otomani
Spectators: 6725 (Terracing: 5000, Seating: 1725, VIP seats: 0) Dark clouds were building up when the players entered the field. None of the them looked very eager to play. Mircea Joja started the match with the kick off. Flavius Ciuhandu kicked well hit freekick during the 3rd minute of the match. Șerban Lăzăroiu showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Mircea Joja in the 18th minute of the match. Eric Niculcea stood for a superb save when he managed to get hold of Niculae Doman's shot from short distance in the 23rd minute. The supporters of Fc. Botosani booed when F.C. Lupeni was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 26 match minutes in a wonderful position. Laurențiu Caranfil didn't get a good kick on the ball. Șerban Lăzăroiu made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Mircea Joja in the 30th minute of play. In the 31st match minute, F.C. Lupeni was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Sorin Dumitru to maneuver through the defense. After having played for 35 minutes, Niculae Doman managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. F.C. Lupeni's supporters crossed their fingers, but Niculae Doman was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. After 40 played minutes F.C. Lupeni got a freekick which was hit by Dorel Goiciu. If Felix Mihăescu had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 43rd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. The score stood at 0-0 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

The hometeam waved at the audience when it was time for Felix Mihăescu to strike the kick off in the second half. In the 54th minute, Eliodor Bobocea hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The supporters of Fc. Botosani booed when F.C. Lupeni was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 56 match minutes in a wonderful position. Sorin Dumitru didn't get a good kick on the ball. In the 60th minute, F.C. Lupeni's Aron Omescu seemed to kick out at an opponent. The referee saw this and, surprisingly, showed Aron Omescu the red card, dismissing him from the pitch. The coaching staff of F.C. Lupeni protested bitterly, but the referee would have none of it, and Aron Omescu had no choice but to slowly walk off the pitch. The referee blew the whistle for a penalty in the 59th minute of the game. One of F.C. Lupeni:s players had nearly got his shirt torn off by an opponent while getting free in front of Fc. Botosani:s goal. In the 62nd minute there was a penalty for Fc. Botosani. Sergiu Dobrinescu stepped forward and shot the ball to the right of a diving Șerban Lăzăroiu. 1-0. In the 64th match minute, Fc. Botosani was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Răzvan Giugiuc to maneuver through the defense. Eric Niculcea made a fantastic save in the 66th minute, when Niculae Doman sent off a good shot on target. In the 68th minute Cornel Condeescu shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Șerban Lăzăroiu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 70 minutes into the match, Fc. Botosani's Mircea Joja sent off a blazing shot straight on target, a shot that Șerban Lăzăroiu narrowly saved just below the crossbar. When Niculae Doman came up free with the goalie in the 71st minute, the F.C. Lupeni fans jumped to their feet. But the shot missed the goal by a fraction of an inch, and the fans sat back down disappointed that Niculae Doman couldn't finish the play. 74 minutes into the match, F.C. Lupeni's goal looked a bit too open when Cornel Condeescu came free, but Șerban Lăzăroiu reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 78th minute Cornel Condeescu shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Șerban Lăzăroiu saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. After 81 minutes of play, Fc. Botosani's Mircea Joja made it 2-0 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Șerban Lăzăroiu was left in no man's land by his defense there! Eric Niculcea was out of position in the 89 minute of play, and Niculae Doman capitalized on the mistake with a soft shot into the goal. Niculae Doman really showed his touch with that goal: 2-1. If Cornel Condeescu had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 97th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. F.C. Lupeni's supporters were dissatisfied at the end of the match because Fc. Botosani had won, even though F.C. Lupeni had held more of the ball.