There was drama when eight minutes of added time were shown. Dempo attacked relentlessly and Salgaocar defended stoutly, and out of nowhere Salgaocar scored, twice. First, Gilbert Oliveira scored with a solo run to break Dempo’s resolve and Duffy made it 2-0 with a lofted attempt.
Dempo SC is one of the most successful clubs in Indian football with five national titles and were last relegated in 1999-2000 season when the National Football League was the premier most competition.
“I am most disappointed because I had got this team up from relegation in 2000 without even conceding a goal in the Second Division which was a record in itself. I was praying for East Bengal to defeat Lajong FC and all the three Goan clubs survive the drop,” stated the former India head coach Armando Colaco, who guided Dempo to glory during his tenure till 2013.
“Even if they field a team next season I wonder how many existing players will be with them. Now everyone wants to play in the top flight as money is easily available, before it was different,” pointed out Colaco.
The final day in the relegation fight saw five teams fighting it out to avoid the drop, but ultimately it was Trevor Morgan’s men who lost ground. The Englishman only took over the reins at Dempo SC in March after the Panjim outfit had a shaky start with four draws, two defeats and only a win under Australian coach Arthur Papas.
“It saddens me to see a Goan team getting relegated. However, they can definitely make a comeback. Coaches cannot be blamed alone. The players also were worn out after playing in the Indian Super League (ISL) and they deserved light training with proper recovery,” reasoned out Goa’s first Arjuna Awardee and the Indian team’s goalkeeping legend Brahmanand Shankwalkar.
Salgaocar finished in the seventh position and after languishing at the bottom of the season for the major part, Sporting Clube finished in the eighth spot with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Pune FC, at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda.
