MAPUSA: Dempo Sports Club registered an easy 2-0 win over Churchill Brothers Sports Club in their last Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, at Duler Stadium, here on Sunday.
With this win, Dempo concluded their season in the runners-up position with 48 points, while Churchill finished at the 7th position with just 26 points.
Suraj Hadkonkar and Vinit Bugde made the first start for the Dempo, while their coach Samir Naik also included Edwin Viegas, Mario Mascarenhas and Gaurish Naik in the starting XI, following their quarter-final defeat against the same opponents, whereas, Churchill gaffer Alfred Fernandes made three changes as Arvind Silva, Sevlon Cardozo and Nicholas Fernandes made into the cut.
After a midfield play in the first 15 minutes, it was Dempo who came up with the first potent chance of the match in the 17th minute when Gaurish went for glory from outside the box but his sparkling strike was nicely fisted over the crossbar by the Churchill custodian James Kithan.
However, Dempo surged ahead from the resulting corner as Mario Mascarenhas made an easy tap to Latesh Mandrekar’s well-taken corner to put the Golden Eagles ahead.
Dempo had a chance to double their lead in the 25th minute when Gaurish made a superb through pass to Suraj in the box but keeper Kithan blocked his powerful shot from close.
The Churchill keeper Kithan came with two fine saves in the 40th minute as he first blocked Latesh’s shot from close, while a few seconds later, Desmon Pereira’s goal-bound shot was nicely fisted over the crossbar by him.
On crossing over, Dempo had the best chance to increase their lead in the 58th minute when Vinit easily cut past a defender in the box and shot on the goal from the acute angle but the Churchill keeper Kithan stretched to his limit to block it but the ball rolled to unmarked Suraj who had empty goal in front of him but the striker shot the ball wide from inside the box.
At the other end, Churchill U-20 midfielder Sevlon wasted an easy chance to make it all square in the 65th minute as the he shot wide from blank range with just the Dempo keeper Tyson Caiado at the stake.
After some probing attacks in the final quarter of the match, Dempo finally managed to double their tally in the 84th minute when substitute striker Jaison Vaz brilliantly cut past a defender after receiving a perfect through pass from another substitute player Beevan D’Mello and finished the ball in the back of the nylons from inside the box to make it 2-0 for the Golden Eagles.
