Team Herald
DULER: Sporting Clube de Goa defeated Dempo Sports Club by a solitary goal to clinch the Goa Professional League title, at Duler Stadium, Mapusa, on Thursday.
The all-important goal was scored by Nigerian striker Philip Odogwu in the closing stage of the first session.
Sporting topped the table with unassailable 55 points with a match in hand while Dempo remained on the second spot with 44 points from 20 matches.
Though Dempo started on an attacking note, Sporting were the first to come close to scoring in the 18th minute when Alston sent in a superb low cross to Marcus Mascarenhas in the box but Dempo keeper Agnelo Gomes brilliantly pushed it towards safety.
Sporting wasted another chance to take the lead in the 39th minute as Nigerian forward Philip Odogwu easily dribbled past Dempo defender Shallum Pires to enter the box but failed to keep his shot on target from close with just Dempo keeper Agnelo to beat.
After many missed chances, Sporting finally surged ahead in the added time of the first session as Philip made no mistake to head the ball home from close off Marcus’ perfect cross from the right to make it 1-0 for the Flaming Orange at the half-time.
On changing the sides, Dempo should have levelled the terms a minute before the hour mark when defender Naveen Mendes nicely combined with Beevan D’Mello and sent a cut back to unmarked Nestor in the box but the U-20 midfielder shot wide.
Meanwhile, another chance went a begging for Sporting in the 64th minutes when substitute Quan Gomes sent a perfect cross to unmarked Marcus at the far post but the striker failed to keep his header on target.
Dempo also had a chance to level the terms in the 71st minute when substitute Suraj Hadkonkar went for a glory from distance but Sporting keeper Melroy Fernandes made a diving effort to block it, the ball travelled to another Dempo substitute Desmon Pereira but the U-20 lad shot wide from close.
