The white-violets started the new League 2 season with a narrow 1-0 (1-0) win over Unirii Constanta. The only goal of the match at “Știința” was scored by Cosmin Bîrnoi in the first half of the game.

The arena in the centre of the city came alive again, despite the heat, with spectators of all ages. Our players entered the pitch with a banner dedicated to the late Polist supporter Dragoslav “Draghi” Cercel. “KEEP WELL, DRAGHI!” was the message displayed before the moment of silence held in his memory.

A few minutes into the game Cosmin Bîrnoi was to dedicate the only goal of the match to “Draghi”. Captain for the first time for the white-violet team, our “decarul” took an action on his own in the 8th minute and after a blocked shot from an angle, he also rebounded from close range and volleyed the ball that finally entered the goal.

The visitors then had more of the ball, but without creating any big chances until late in the first half. In the 41st minute, Chirițoiu sent well over the goal from a good position from the centre of the box and the visitors went into the dressing room with a minimal advantage for the white-violets.

In the second half, Politehnica had another notable chance through Bryneus, who came on at half-time, but the Swede couldn’t find the target from an angle after Oanea’s cross. Then Milea (53) almost caught Udrea directly from a corner. From the 61st minute, however, our team was one man down when Denis Radu was sent off for a second yellow for a foul on the edge of the pitch.

The guests still had more possession and created some good chances to score. The same Chirițoiu (69th minute) sent a deflected shot onto the bar. Then Oanea (73) sent an angled shot under the bar, the ball was deflected for a corner, but the corner kick was not awarded. The guests had another bar and towards the end Mitrică wasted the last chance to equalise.

The points stay in Timisoara and Politehnica starts the new season on the right foot. In the second round our team will play in Rm. Vâlcea against CSC Șelimbăr. Note that five years ago, also with Bogdan Andone at the start on the technical bench, the white-violet obtained their previous victory in the first round, scoring 3-2, in Braila, against Dacia Unirea.

POLITEHNICA (coach Bogdan Andone): Murariu – D. Radu, Tsvetkov, Germinio, Taub (46, Oanea) – Plantak – Mudrazija (72, Ignea), Pană (46, Bryneus), Gologan (36, Pureca), Milea – Bîrnoi (captain; 65, Jurj). On the bench: Isvoranu – M. Andone, Bătănași and Zaluschi.

Unirea Constanța (coach Dacian Nastai): Udrea (captain) – Zamfir (81, Malama), Cană, Tudose, Șuteu – Enache (66, Timiș), Ciuciulete, Mitrică – Horșia, Chirițoiu (81, R. Tudor), Niță (46, Trif). On the bench: M. Popescu – M. Lăcătușș, Coza, Cireșoiu, Șerbănescu.

“The only thing that remains is the victory and the three very important points. If we look in the past, I think it’s Poli’s first win after five years at the start of the League 2 season. After the one in Braila. Let’s also not forget last season, which ended the way it did, it was extra pressure for the players. It was also the first home game. I want to thank the supporters, especially the people who came in large numbers to the pitch today, families with children, with women, I saw a lot of them at the match, an extraordinary thing, I want to thank them on my behalf and on behalf of the team, because they came and supported the team at today’s match”, said Bogdan Andone, Politehnica’s head coach.

“We didn’t take a step back too quickly, we didn’t prepare for this and all the time we tried to put pressure or so we prepared, but we have to keep in mind that it was the first leg, an extraordinary heat, it was also for the opponents. Let’s not forget that the opponent is the 2002-2003 group from FCSB, a group that has been playing together for years, with players in the national junior teams, who have been to the European Championship, players with very good qualities, and with an idea of the game, who know each other very well and when we were also down in numbers, it was clear that we had to find resources and a way to defend our result. I said, the most important thing that remains are the three points”, the white-violet coach added.

“The ‘principal’ of the Blue and Whites admits, “The game wasn’t what we wanted, what I wanted or what the supporters wanted, we created quite a few chances to score. I’m glad we managed to score maybe the first or the only great chance we had. We have a lot to do, a lot of work to do, I said it last week, we are still far from what we want. We also need to get into the rhythm of the game, get to know each other better. We need the players to have more personality on the pitch, to make decisions for themselves. Because there are times, especially on offense, when you have to make decisions, take personal action, make a difference in the box. You need personality, you need confidence, these things will come with time, for sure, I told the guys today that I congratulate them for the win, for the work they did. They can relax a bit today, tomorrow the same, it’s a day off, but on Monday we start working again, because we are far from where we need to be.”

Medical problems continue to bother the blue-and-white staff: “Unfortunately, these problems, with injuries, still persist, they don’t get around us at all. Gologan basically a stupid injury, he somehow stepped on the opponent’s foot or the opponent on his foot and sprained it. I didn’t mention that. Taub simply because of the heat was sick, from the first minutes, I told the doctor to call him and talk to him, because he was hungover since the game started. He said he just didn’t feel like moving anymore. Same with Denis, at half-time if the situation had allowed me I would have made at least four or five changes because of the heat… Silviu Pană, the same, for the same reasons, so I made basically until half-time three forced changes and then came that elimination, when I made two more forced changes. All I had to do was try a little bit to find a way to maintain this result.”

“The options are few to very few, we’ll see, I’ve spoken to the team doctor, the medical staff, to keep in touch with the players tonight, tomorrow later in the day, to do whatever it takes to try to find a way to get them well, to have them in training at least some of them. We have a rather thin squad in terms of numbers and value and we need all the players”, concluded Bogdan Andone.