Team Herald
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DULER: Dempo Sports Club scored an impressive 3-1 win over Churchill Brothers Sports Club to move to the second spot of GFA’s Goa Professional League played at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Thursday.
With today’s win, Dempo move to the 2nd place with 39 points from 18 matches while Churchill have 13 points from same numbers of outings and stand 8th in the league.
Coming back from a defeat at the hands of Sporting Clube de Goa in their last league fixture, Dempo SC seemed determined to return home with full three points in an effort to finish off the league at second place after Salgaocar FC have already claimed the title crown.
Churchill Bros SC having drawn their last match against Calangute Association looked high on confidence but they failed to convert from the chances they created for themselves.
It was Dempo SC who created the first attacking move when Milagres got hold of the ball from Anthony D’Souza and unleashed a rasping right footer which was pushed over the horizontal bar by the alert Churchill keeper Ricardo Cardozo.
Couple of minutes later Dempo SC once again came attacking and this time tasted success when Milagres capitalised on a defensive error by Churchill Bros Mildred, and coolly slotted the ball home from close range to make it 1-0.
Dempo did not waste much time and doubled their lead when Mario Mascarenhas sent a perfect cross to Hayden Fernandes who positioned himself perfectly to guide the ball home making it 2-0.
Finding themselves on the back foot Churchill Bros SC managed to get their acts together and attacked their rivals.
Nicholas Fernandes on getting hold off a loose ball on the edge of the 18-yard box sent a powerful shot which missed the target narrowly and then Pankaj Sona saw his header sail just past the Dempo SC’s woodwork.
After some midfield play Nicholas danced his way into the Dempo SC danger zone only to see his fierce grounder being kept away by the diving Dempo keeper Tyson Caiado.
Miscommunication between Mohammed Ali and Germanpreet Singh almost proved too costly for Dempo SC but Chesterpaul who pounced on the opportunity made a mess of the opportunity to the dismay of his teammates.
While Churchill kept squandering their goal scoring chances Dempo SC further inflated the margin when Anthony set up Milagres right inside the Churchill 18-yard box who nodded the ball to the far corner of the nets, 3-0
Crossing over, it was once again Dempo who attacked first, when Anthony D’Souza sent the ball towards Felix Odili Chidi who surprisingly shot straight at keeper Ricardo.
Minutes into the match Churchill Bros SC keeper came with a superb save to keep Kapil Hoble’s rasping right footer at bay.
Milagres almost scored his hat-trick however his header off Nickson Castanhas’s cross missed the target by whiskers.
In the closing minutes of the match the Red Machine managed to pull one back through defender Banpynkhrawnam N. who headed home Nicholas Fernandes corner kick, 1-3.
