It was the battle between the two local giants Dempo Sports Club and Churchill Brothers, defending champion Dempo maintained their supremacy as they overpowered its rival Churchill Brothers 4-1 in an engaging tenth round match of the ONGC I-League played at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, here on Thursday.
With this win, Dempo upheld their top slot with a healthy margin of five-points ahead of second-placed JCT, who lost 1-3 to Mahindra United, away in Mumbai. Dempo now have 24 points from 10 matches while Churchill only have 17 points in same number of matches.
Churchill has lost out a big opportunity to remain in the title hunt, as the margin of points is getting bigger day by day. The first-half saw some equal exchanges from both the sides with Dempo was clearly looking as the better side.
Edeh Chidi gave Dempo the lead at the stroke of lemon-break, but they came back strongly in the latter half to drub Churchill with goals from Ranty Martins, Anthony Pereira and Joaquim Abaranches.
Mboyo Iyomi reduced the margin for Churchill with a lone consolation goal at the fag end of the match.
Churchill's Nigerian striker Odafe Okolie had an off day at the office as he couldn't do much for his side and even did not be able to convert a couple of half chances which were created early in the match.
Though Churchill had the first look at the rival goal, as Odafe's stinging shot from close range stranded rival goalie under the bars. But, much to Odafe and Churchills' dismay, the ball hit the crossbar.
Roberto Mendes da Silva curling free-kick, a minute before half-time, menacingly went inside the danger area and found Edeh Chidi, who dived to his full stretch and nodded past Delhi lad Vinay Singh under the Churchill bar to make it 1-0.
Dempo doubled their lead with a dubious penalty after referee K. Sankar first disallowing Genius Zenith's handball, but later reversed his decision after consulting with assistant referee Shaji Kurien.
Ranty Martins made no mistake in slotting it home by forcing goalkeeper Vinay to move wrong side.
Anthony Pereira tapped the ball inside the net in the 68th minute following a goalmouth melee to make it three nil. By that time Dempo had shattered Churchill Bros' hopes of making any comeback into the match.
Mboyo Iyomi pulled one back for Churchill with his header four minutes before the final whistle but it was too little and too late for Churchill Bros even though Dempo made a goal-line save in the very next minute on a counter.
Substitute young local lad Joaquim Abaranches gave the final denting blow to Churchill in the injury time of the match to seal the fate of the opponents. Meanwhile, Dempo goalkeeper V P Satish Kumar might have to miss the next match against Sporting Clube on Sunday as he dislocated his finger during the game.
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