Dempo Sports Club has maintained its winning tempo by scripting a convincing 2-0 win over Sporting Clube de Goa in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Elite League (Goa zone) at Dempo SC Academy ground in Ella, Old Goa on Saturday.
The win has catapulted Dempo SC to the top of the table with 11 points from six games – having won three, drawn two and lost one – whilst Sporting Clube is second from last with five points – winning one, drawn two and lost three in six games.
Both teams started cautiously with the hosts enjoying midfield superiority in patches in the first session and Dempo managed to translate that advantage into a lead when in the 44th minute Kanaiya Kamti were awarded a free kick and Kanaiya stepped forward to take it and scored from zero angle with a blinder of an attempt that left the Sporting keeper Moin Mansuri non-pulsed.
The winners trooped for the lemon break with an advantage of a goal.
Sporting Clube de Goa started the second half with a different game plan and kept pressurizing Dempo SC goalkeeper Ryan D’souza with sudden shots at goal which the latter handled comfortably. With Sporting mounting pressure, the Dempo lads tended to guard their citadel as a group and during one such attempt Sporting were awarded a penalty and a chance to draw level.
However, Dempo goalkeeper Ryan stood to the occasion and denied Irfan a goal and an opportunity to level terms.
Goaded by the save of their goalkeeper, the Dempo lads accelerated the pace upfront and their efforts bore fruit in the 86th minute when they were awarded a corner. Of a premeditated set piece, Aman Govekar and Velanko Rodrigues set Necio Fernandes on a platter to score the second goal and consolidate the team’s position.
