Curtains fall on the Red and Gold brigade’s title hopes
VASCO: East Bengal should have won the match but a determined Dempo staged a splendid rally to almost snatch full points in an exciting 2-2 draw in an I-League match at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, Saturday. East Bengal led 1-0 at the lemon break.
COMING THROUGH: The players of Dempo SC and |
While East Bengal held sway over the proceedings in the first session when they took the lead, Dempo were the more dominant in the second half when they not only equalized but also took the lead only to surrender it later.
East Bengal began the match in whirlwind fashion pushing Dempo on the back foot during the opening quarter with their foreign strike duo of Edeh Chidi and Orji Penn ripping through the porous left with ease. They deservedly took the lead in the 15th minute when Orji weaved in from the right and played the ‘wall’ with Edeh slicing open the Dempo defence and then placing his shot past Subhashish under the Dempo bar.
With Peter Carvalho and Godwin Franco unable to assert themselves in the midfield, the Dempo forwards, Koko and Sueoka, were compelled to fall back to assist them. Sueoka probably had the best chance to equalize for Dempo in the closing stages of the first half, but Uga Okpara was at hand to deny him with a lunging block deflecting Sueoka attempt for an abortive corner.
The second half saw a complete transformation in the Dempo side. They looked angry and hungry – going for the ball with a determination missing in the first session. Godwin Franco began to control the midfield and substitute Joy Ferrao’s pace began to find space on the left to send in crosses which caused a fair bit of concern in the East Bengal ranks.
Two minutes into the second half and Sueoka was brought down midway into the East Bengal half. Godwin curled the resultant free kick nicely into the box and Joy Ferrao saw his downward header beat the lanky Gurpreet Singh under the East Bengal bar at his near post. In the scramble Dempo medio Peter Carvalho crashed into the upright opening up a gash on his cheek.
Play was held up for a few minutes with the medical team scrambling to assist the injured player who was ultimately shifted by ambulance to SMRC where he is reported to be convalescing.
The goal spurred Dempo on and with the vociferous support from the stands, they began to assert themselves, particularly in the vital midfield. Substitute John Menyongar and Godwin lorded over the midfield and though a goal looked imminent, it came from a very unlikely source. The diminutive John made the most of a fortuitous deflection, controlling the ball well and taking advantage of some loose marking beat Gurpreet all ends up with a neat grounder from the edge of the box.
Substitute Andrew Barisic almost scored off his first touch. Edeh Chidi, with his body feints and intelligent passes, was a constant thorn in the Dempo defence and was quite disappointed with the poor finishing from his compatriots. On the few occasions, when he himself had a go at goal, he was denied by the athletic Subhashish under the Dempo bar.
Midway into the second half, East Bengal substitute Andrew Barisic almost equalized off his first touch but with only the keeper to beat, he sliced his header wide off a pinpoint cross from Edeh Chidi.
It was the other East Bengal substitute Ashfaq Ahmed, who took advantage of the confusion in the Dempo defence which expected the referee to blow the whistle for a push at Cresson, to play a neat one two with Edeh Chidi and beat the hapless Subhashish with a fierce drive from the box.
Gowin Franco, who was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the Match, was also cautioned by referee C.R. Srikrishna for dangerous play.
