Taiwo hat-trick sinks Resita as Popeshti-Lerodeni close on top four
Popeshti-Lerodeni got the better of CSM Resita in the Liga II regular season on Saturday, winning 4-1 in front of their own supporters. The result moves them within three points of the fourth-placed visitors, who had been rolling through the opening rounds. And here's the thing — most people watching the highlights will only see the goals. They won't see the yellow cards piling up, the nervous substitutions, the way the game shifted from one end of the pitch to the other.
E. Lenghel opened the scoring in the sixth minute, a simple finish that caught Resita off-guard. To be fair, Popeshti-Lerodeni had been patient, waiting for the right moment. By then, F. Biclesanu had already picked up a booking for Resita, and C. Balgiu followed suit two minutes later. A. Capraru and O. Salhi added to the tally before half-time, and suddenly the home crowd was getting restless. The visitors were being man-marked into mistakes, not through tactics but through sheer pressure.
A. Dutu doubled the advantage in the 26th minute, and Popeshti-Lerodeni looked comfortable. Then came the second half, and everything changed. Q. Taiwo came on as a substitute and immediately made his presence felt. He netted in the 58th minute, and by the 66th he had added a second. He never got going in the first half — or at least, that's what you'd think from the scoreline. But the third goal in 90-plus minutes told the real story.
The substitutions tell you something about how Resita tried to respond. F. Biclesanu, E. Lenghel, and C. Barbut all came off together in the 61st minute, a triple change that suggested panic. A. Raji was booked in the 75th and then substituted himself off two minutes later, which is a rare occurrence. And here's the thing — Taiwo himself picked up a booking in 90-plus minutes, which says more about the desperation than the quality of play.
Popeshti-Lerodeni sit sixth with nine points from five games, but this result changes how people view them. They've kept three clean sheets on the spin, and now they're within striking distance of the top four. Resita, meanwhile, have lost for the first time in five matches. They're still fourth with twelve points, but the gap is closing fast. The draw brought them together early in the season, and now they're meeting again with something to play for.
What strikes you about this performance isn't the goals — it's the control. Popeshti-Lerodeni went for the jugular when it mattered, and Resita never found a way back into it. The visitors fancy their chances in the league, but this was a different story. The home side picked up two bookings in five minutes and still dominated. That's not luck, and that's not a fluke. It's what happens when a team understands what they need to do.
By then, the home crowd had made their point. They never stopped, and they won't stop now. Popeshti-Lerodeni are back in full training, and the next few weeks will tell you everything. The result brought them together early in the season, and now they're meeting again with something to play for. And here's the thing — this isn't over yet.