UTA secured a late victory against us in Arad, scoring in the closing stages to bring an end to our unbeaten run.
UTA secured a late victory against us in Arad, scoring in the closing stages to bring an end to our unbeaten run.
UTA played their final home match of the season, and the several thousand fans in attendance created a festive atmosphere. On the pitch, it was evident that the key objectives had already been settled for both teams, and for us, the possibility of a Conference League play-off spot did not seem to provide sufficient motivation. This was reflected in our lack of clear scoring chances and limited attacking presence.
Most of the play took place in front of our goal, although the hosts also lacked the sharpness needed to decide the match earlier.
Around twenty FK supporters witnessed a start in which the home side took control early on. In the 17th minute, Palmeș fouled Țăroi about 17 meters from goal, but Roman sent the free kick over the bar from a good position. Shortly after, Țăroi’s long-range effort missed the target, and Coman also failed to find the net from close range.
In the 29th minute, Pap safely held Roman’s shot, and a few minutes later he denied another attempt from Țăroi.
Towards the end of the first half, Pap Eduard kept our team in the game with several outstanding saves: first he blocked Iacob’s one-on-one attempt with his foot following an Abdallah–Iacob combination, then in the 44th minute Țăroi missed a big chance, shooting over from 12 meters.
The second half followed a similar pattern. After a run down the left by Țăroi, Coman’s shot was blocked, and Pap had to stretch to deal with a long-range attempt from Alomerovic. From the resulting corner, Abdallah headed wide from close range, and in the 70th minute the crossbar came to our rescue after another Abdallah effort. In the 74th minute, Benga’s header also went over the goal.
Just when it seemed we would hold on for a clean sheet, the deadlock was broken in the 86th minute: Abdallah’s long-range shot took a deflection and found its way into the net, sealing the three points.
At the end of the match, head coach Róbert Ilyés gave a fair assessment and acknowledged the hosts’ superiority:
“We don’t have much to add about this match. We faced a better opponent who wanted the win more, backed by a passionate crowd that supported them until the final minute and believed more in victory. We showed very little on the pitch, struggled to keep possession, and the only thing I could be satisfied with was our defensive organization—but that is far from enough at this level,” he stated.
In the final round, FK will host Botoșani, with the exact date yet to be announced by the league.
SuperLiga, play-out, Round 8
UTA Arad – FK Csíkszereda 1–0 (0–0)
Arad, Neuman Ferenc Stadium, approx. 6,000 spectators
Referees: Flueran Viorel Nicușor, Ilinca Cristian Daniel, Necula Mihăiță. VAR: Coza Ionuț, AVAR: Orbuleț Mircea. Fourth official: Moroiță Andrei.
Goal: Abdallah (86’)
Yellow cards: Anderson (20’), Bloj (59’), Kleinheisler (81’)
UTA Arad: Gorcea Andrei Cristian – Iacob Flavius, Pospelov Dmytro, Benga Alexandru Constantin, Alomerovic Din – Mino Sota (Van Durmen Benjamin 89’), Odada Richard – Abdallah Hakim Djamel (Mihai Luca Alessandro 90’), Roman Alin (Tzionis Marinos 83’), Țăroi Denis Albert Ionuț (Ile Denis Lucian 89’) – Coman Marius Cătălin.
Head coach: Adrian Mihalcea
FK Csíkszereda: Pap Eduard Adrian – Bloj Erwin Szilárd, Csürös Attila, Palmeș Raul Ioan, Trif Răzvan Alin – Bödő Zoltán Efraim (Brugger Dániel 90’), Veres Szilárd – Anderson Ceará (Loeper Wilhelm 83’), Dusinszki Szabolcs (Kleinheisler László 46’), Szalay Szabolcs (Cabral Gustavo 90’) – Eppel Márton (Dolny Jozef 71’).
Head coach: Róbert Ilyés
Attila Rédai