TEAM HERALD

sports@herald-goa.com

MARGAO: Defending champions Dempo flaunted their class, than stuttered momentarily before coming into their own to smother Prayag United Sports Club 3-1 in a 10^th round I-League match at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Saturday. The teams were tied 1-1 at half time.

With this win, Dempo have tallied 25 points from 10 matches and stay at the top while Prayag United stay on the fourth spot with 14 points from the same number of encounters.

Dinesh Sakhalkar FIGHT FOR THE BALL: The Dempo and Prayag  players vie for the ball in their 10th round I-League  football match at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Saturday.

The charged-up Prayag United got a fine opportunity in the 10^th minute when Ranty Martins found winger Gouranga

Biswas free and floated the ball inside the Dempo penalty area but Vineth C K’s header missed the target.

Prayag United dominated the first 20 minutes. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when central defender Gourmangi Singh from the right floated the ball inside the rival penalty box. Nigerian striker Ranty Martins took utmost advantage of the defensive lapse by Dempo defender Rowilson Rodrigues and Sameer Naik and gently slotted the ball past Dempo goalkeeper Chowdhury.

Stung by the setback, Dempo regrouped quickly and nearly found the equalizer but Rowilson headed wide off a Clifford Miranda cross from the left via Joaquim Abranches’ flag kick.

Thereafter the Armando Colaco coached side scored the equalizer through Ryuji Sueoka in the 36th minute when he headed in off a free kick taken by Clifford Miranda.

Dempo picked up from where they left in the first half and nearly struck soon after resumption, but man-of-the-match Rohan Ricketts’ stiff shot deflected off a rival defender and went out for an abortive flag kick.

Dempo who should have doubled the lead in the 56^th minute when Sueoka earned the spot kick after being brought down in the penalty area by Bello Rasaq and referee Danny Jacobs pointed to the spot. Sueoka himself took the spot kick but squandered the opportunity as he failed to get past Prayag United goalkeeper Subrata Paul.

In the 65^th minute Dempo had an excellent chance to double the lead but midfielder Peter Carvlalho muffed a sitter with only the rival goalkeeper at his mercy by shooting ball wide from close off a Sueoka pass.

There was a slight lull thereafter before Dempo came alive in the 75^th minute. Striker Ricketts showed fine sense and found Peter Carvalho free on the right and the latter beat Subrata Paul with a clinical finish.

Dempo intensified their attacks and midfielder Climax added salt to Prayag United wounds, scoring his first goal and Dempo’s third goal to seal the match in his side’s favour off a Ricketts through pass.

Dempo chief coach Colaco was elated with the three points and the margin of victory. “I am pleased with my team’s performance. We played a good game and I am satisfied with my players,” he declared.

His counterpart Prayag United Coach Eelco Schattorie said: “We played better in the first half and dominated the game but we muffed chances and conceded easy goals. The performance of the players dropped in the beginning of the second half. We had scoring chances late in the second half but failed to convert them into goals. The Prayag coach was not happy with the performance of the referee and stated that according to him the penalty was unfair.