PANAJI
Dempo Sports Club secured a 2-1 victory over Sporting Clube de Goa in their Group A clash of the 2nd Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy on Tuesday, earning crucial points.
Sporting Clube took the lead in the 21st minute when Doyal Alves capitalized on a pass from Ahongshangbam Sushil, curling the ball into the bottom left corner. Dempo SC equalized before halftime as Kapil Hoble converted a pass from Shubham Rawat, leveling the score.
The second half saw Dempo capitalize on a goalkeeping error. SC Goa's Myron Fernandes played a back pass to goalkeeper Abhimanyu Singh, who misjudged the ball. Dempo’s Vinay Harji intercepted and passed it to Shubham Rawat, who scored to give Dempo a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute.
Despite a late push from Sporting Clube, including a close attempt from Mark Carvalho that was cleared by Dempo’s Shallum Pires, Dempo’s defense held strong to secure the win.
The match was marked by Sporting Clube’s lack of their head coach, Samir Naik, who was suspended after receiving a red card in a previous game. Dempo’s victory strengthens their position in the tournament, demonstrating their resilience and tactical advantage.
