15 Sep 2009  |   12:00am IST

Superb Dempo thrash Air India

NEW DELHI, SEPT 14 Joint favourites Dempo Sports Club displayed oodles of class as they overpowered a hapless Air India (Mumbai) 4-1 in a rather one-sided Group III encounter of 122nd Durand Cup football championship here tonight.

Superb Dempo thrash Air India
Dempo�4 Air India�1
Mahindra�0 Lajong�0      
UNI
NEW DELHI, SEPT 14
Joint favourites Dempo Sports Club displayed oodles of class as they overpowered a hapless Air India (Mumbai) 4-1 in a rather one-sided Group III encounter of 122nd
Durand Cup football championship here tonight.
Peter Carvalho (28th), Ranti Martins (60th), Sunil Chhettri (69th) and Roberto Mendes Silva (89th) scored for the winners, while ND Opara (90+) got the consolation goal for Air India.
Indian internationals Sunil Chetri and Anwar made their debut in the Dempo SC colors.
Dempo, boasting of several Team India stars within their ranks, dominated the exchanges for most of the match and could have scored at least a couple of goals more.
Dempo, playing their first match of the season, were a bit rusty in the initial stages, but they gradually improved as the game wore on.
The trio of Chhettri, Martins and Roberto Mendes Silva (Beto) displayed superb combination and quite deservingly, each of them managed to put their name on the scoresheet.
On the other hand, Air India lacked ideas upfront and were not able to create too many chances. The few chances that they did create, were wasted due to the profligacy of their forwards.
The Goans could have put their noses in front within the opening 10 minutes, but Anthony Pereira failed to capitalise on a good pass from the midfield.
In the very next minute, a snapshot from Ranti went inches wide of the Air India goalpost.
In the 25th minute, Air India striker Tapan Maity�s cross from the left was met by a powerful header by Opara which forced a good save from Abhijit Mondal under the Dempo bar.
Dempo forced open the floodgates in the second half as the �terrible trio� of Chhettri, Ranti and Beto ran the rival defence ragged.
Ranti doubled the lead early in the second session when he scored a typical poacher�s goal from a goalmouth melee.
The third goal for Dempo was the result of a dream move. Beto controlled the ball at the top of the penalty box and passed to Ranti who found Chhetri. Chhetri�s through found Beto who was rushing into space behind the Air India back four. The Brazillian was brought down by a desparate rival defender which prompted referee P K Bose to award a penalty in favour of the Goan outfit.
Chhetri coolly slotted from the spot to virtually shut out the Mumbaikars from the game.
Beto curled in a beautiful, curving free kick which beat the rival custodian all ends up just a minute before the end of normal time to complete the tally for Dempo.
Air India did create a couple of superb chances in injury time, one of which was converted by Opara, but it was a case of too little, too late.
Dempo will face minnows Army XI in the final match of the group on September 17 and can surely expect a comfortable passage to the semi-finals.
In an earlier Group IV  match, star-studded Mahindra United were held to a goalless draw by gutsy green horns Lajong FC.
As expected, Mahindra completely dominated the proceedings throughout the first half and could have taken a comfortable lead by half time but were let down by the wastefulness of their strikers.
Mohammad Rafi was the main culprit for Mahindra as he wasted several good chances.