MAPUSA: Dempo Sports club blanked Football Club de Bardez 2-0 in the Goa Professional League match, organised by Goa Football Association, played at Duler Stadium, here on Saturday.
Latesh Mandrekar scored the opener for Dempo SC while Suraj Hadkonkar netted the second to seal the game for Dempo Sports Club.
With this win, Dempo closed the gap to eight points at the top with Sporting Clube de Goa as they have 31 points from 14 matches, while Bardez remained at 8th position with 15 points from 13 matches.
Bardez coach Armando Colaco made few changes to his side, following a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Sporting Clube de Goa as Krishnanath Shirodkar, Micky Vaz, Lalbabu Matho, Clinton Niasso and Joliston Rebello were back in the starting XI for the Pink Brigade.
Whereas, the Dempo gaffer Samir Naik also made few changes to his side which drew against Panjim Footballers in the last round match as Beevan D’Mello and Nestor Dias made the comeback while, Olan Chandran made his first start for the Golden Eagles.
Kapil Hoble had the best chance to take Dempo into the lead in the very 3rd minute when Joaquim Abranches found him in the box with a brilliant through pass but the winger fumbled with the ball as Bardez defender cleared it for safety.
However, Dempo opened their account in the 20th minute when Latesh Mandrekar’s curling cross was deflected into the net by Bardez defender Joliston Rebello to send the rivals into the lead.
At the other end, Bardez came with a swift attack in the last few minutes of the first-half, as their lone striker Clinton Niasso sent a header pass to unmarked Inacio Colaco in the box but the midfielder headed wide with just the Dempo keeper Agnelo Gomes at the stake.
Another chance for Bradez went into the vain when Clinton made superb run from the halfway line and released it to Micky Vaz in the box whose shot was fiercely blocked by keeper Agnelo but he could not manage to clear the danger completely, taking advantage of the same, Clinton tapped in from close but the linesman disallowed the goal as the forward failed to beat the offside line.
Dempo were unlucky in the very second minute of the second session as Desmon Pereira’s goal-bound cross hit the Bardez keeper David Chauhan’s hand and crossbar before going out for a corner.
Meanwhile, Dempo keeper Agnelo came with an excellent save to push Ronil Azavedo’s goal-bound shot for a corner.
With just 10 minutes left on the clock, Dempo once again made a dangerous move inside the rival’s box as substitute Suraj Hadkonkan set up Joaquim with just keeper to beat but the forward’s shot just went wide.
In the 83rd minute, Bardez defender Krishnanath fumbled when he headed in the ball into his own net off Suraj’s cross to make it 2-0 for the Golden Eagles.
In the added time, Joaquim missed the sitter when Beevan made brilliant footwork to cut past keeper David twice in the box and squared it to unmarked Joaquim who shot wide from close.
