Politehnica Timisoara won on Friday away, 4-0 (3-0), against CSC Ghiroda and Giarmata Vii, in the fourth round of the play-off of League 3, Series 9. The goals were scored by Fabian Marincu, David Popa (pen.), David Ciurel and Denis Boariu.

At the “Emilian Pavel” arena, captain Marincu had the chance to open the scoring in the first seconds. He didn’t miss the target again after five minutes. Prună passed into a lane and Politehnicii’s decarulist bounced the ball from the box over goalkeeper Flonta into the net. Poli were more dangerous thereafter and after Rotariu’s shot (17 mins) was nervously saved by the goalkeeper, who deflected into his own bar and then held the ball, they would score twice more in the first half. In the 24th minute David Ciurel broke down the back line but was fouled by Coroiu in the box and referee Șerban Matei pointed to the spot. David Popa took the spot-kick to the right of Flonta, who had gone to the opposite corner, to make it 2-0 in the 25th minute. Not two minutes later, Marincu released David Ciurel on the edge of the box and Poli’s winger of the game scored with a long-corner shot to set the half-time score.

In the second half, although Ghiroda tried to get back into the match, the white-violets stayed very well on the pitch and struck once more through a phase created by two players who had just entered the field. In the 81st minute Avramescu passed to Denis Boariu, who from the takeover was left alone with Flonta and he executed the latter with a cross-shot from about 12-13 meters from goal, slightly to the right side.

4-0 final and Politehnica reached 44 points in the championship, now six points ahead of Lupeni, in second place, nine points ahead of third-placed Ghiroda and ten points ahead of Pecica, the last-placed team in the C9 play-off.

Politehnica’s top scorer, Bogdan Istratie, has been sidelined for this game after the injury he sustained in the last round in Pecica. Next up for the alb-violeți is the second play-off game against Minerul Lupeni, on Good Friday (17:00).

CSC Ghiroda and Giarmata Vii: Flonta – Lixandru (46, Cionvică), Stupu, Coroiu (46. Fridrich), Ilie – Stoi (72, D. Buia), Vaccari (66, Velcotă) – Munteanu (66, Șteta), Trip, Mancaș (captain) – Jichici. On the bench: Bura-Koț – Imbroane, Gulei and D. Pop. Coach: Sorin Bălu.

Politehnica Timișoara: Mosoarcă – Nagy (84, Amariei), D. Roșu (84, Huminic), Vlaicu, R. Ciurel – Rotariu (79, Boariu), Pureca – Prună, Popa, Marincu (captain; 69, Militaru) – D. Ciurel (79, Avramescu). On the bench: Enășescu – Tătaru, Miclăuș and Istratie. Coach: Cristian Gălan.

“It is very difficult to anticipate such a scoreline away from home. We started the game very well. The boys had a very good game in the first 35 minutes, after that we let up a little bit, but we kept our organization, which in the end we created more scoring chances, scoring chances. We also scored a goal in the second half and I congratulate them on that, because they played a very good game in every respect. Maybe at times it looked like we were dominated, it was not a problem.

The team from Ghiroda also came very well in the second half, exactly what happened in the game we played in the regular championship, but one on top of the other, although it seemed that we came weaker, we were very well organized, we fought very well, we didn’t give them any scoring chances. They had I think two shots that Tavi put away, one after the other, and a couple of corners. We are happy for this result, because it is very important for us, for what we want for later,” said Cristian Gălan, head coach of Politehnicii Timisoara.

In the last ten minutes of the match in Ghiroda, defender Cosmin Huminic came on the pitch in an official match after a long break due to medical problems. The oldest member of the current squad had re-injured himself in the game of September 16, 2023, against FC Bihor (1-1) in the last championship.

“I’m happy for Huminic, because he works every day in training very well and I’m happy that after all the injuries he had, today he has a reason to be happy – to get back on the pitch in an official match and, even more so, in a victory. Denis with Sebi created the 4th goal, very nice, I’m happy for them, all the players entered very well from the sidelines…“, emphasized Cristian Gălan.

The coach was not surprised by yesterday’s result in the other game of the 4th round of the play-off, Progresul Pecica – Minerul Lupeni 1-0: “I knew that Progresul Pecica is a very good team, I said it last week, I said it at the end of last week’s game in Pecica. It’s a very difficult ground to win there. They have a very good team and this result is not a surprise”.

“We are looking at the other series at the moment when we are mathematically in the play-offs. I don’t want to analyze the other series and what they do in the games because we are not there yet. Yes, indeed, we have a very good advantage, but until we are mathematically we are not going to look at the other series at all,” Gălan concluded.

Photo: Paul Sebo