Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
FATORDA: Dempo Sports Club were left heartbroken as Brazilian forward Daniel Goncalves struck deep into stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Shillong Lajong FC in their I-League 2024-25 clash at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Wednesday.
The Golden Eagles, who led 1-0 at halftime, were moments away from sealing three crucial points before Goncalves’ dramatic late intervention.
Marcus Leric Jr Joseph put Dempo SC ahead in the 39th minute, but Shillong Lajong responded swiftly after the break through Goncalves. Captain Mohamed Ali restored the advantage for Dempo SC in the 52nd minute, but their defensive resilience cracked in the dying seconds as Goncalves completed his brace in the 97th minute. The result saw Dempo SC slip to ninth place with 19 points from 15 matches, while Shillong Lajong climbed to fifth with 23 points.
Dempo SC started brightly and nearly took an early lead in the sixth minute when Marcus Joseph found himself through on goal after a lofted pass. The Trinidadian striker fired a powerful left-footed effort, but Shillong Lajong’s Goalkeeper Ranit Sarkar produced a sharp save to deny him.
However, Joseph wasn’t to be denied for long. In the 39th minute, Knerkitalang Buam raced down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the box.
Seigoumang Doungle met it with a first-time effort that forced another fine save from Sarkar, but the rebound fell perfectly for Joseph, who made no mistake in slotting home to hand Dempo a deserved lead.
Shillong Lajong responded within two minutes of the second half, with Goncalves rising highest inside the box to power a header past the Dempo SC custodian. The Golden Eagles, determined to reclaim their advantage, struck back five minutes later. A free-kick situation saw Joseph’s deft touch deceive Sarkar, who managed to push the ball onto the post, but the lurking Mohamed Ali reacted quickest to tap in the rebound and put Dempo SC back in front.
Joseph continued to trouble the Shillong Lajong defence and almost secured the win in the 84th minute with a moment of brilliance, only for Sarkar to once again come to his team’s rescue. Just when Dempo SC seemed to have done enough, a lapse in concentration in stoppage time proved costly.
Kenstar Kharshong’s delivery into the box was expertly chested down by Hardy Cliff Nongbri into the path of Goncalves, who coolly slotted past the keeper to deny Dempo SC victory.