Dempo slam three past Mumbai FC in opener

Dempo’s Brazilian midfielder Roberto D’Silva put them in front with a close-range effort in the 22nd minute before star India forward Sunil Chhetri made it 2-0 three minutes later with an angular shot from the left.

After the change of ends, Dempo increased the lead to 3-0 in the 52nd minute through Climax Lawrence who shot home from a rebound before they relaxed and allowed Mumbai FC to pull one back in the 78th minute through Peter Siddiqui.

The Goan team’s defence, even without key player Mahesh Gawli, was hardly tested for the major part of the match as Mumbai FC were busy defending their citadel with a nervous-looking Amit Singha Roy under the bar.

Dempo struck pay dirt with their first serious move when Roberto collected the rebound off a defender’s leg following a cross from the right by striker Ranty Martins and volleyed in.

Chhetri, till then subdued, scored the second goal from a narrow angle from the left which should have been covered by Roy.

The Goans sealed the issue soon after the resumption of play in the second half when another defensive error was punished by Lawrence, who collected the rebound off a shot from Chhetri following a corner and slotted home.

In between, Peter Siddiqui darted in to head home a corner kick from the right for Mumbai FC’s consolation goal.

In another match, East Bengal, despite newly signed Baichung Bhutia in their line-up, were held to a 0-0 draw by Pune Football Club in Pune while the match between Salgaocar and Viva Kerala was postponed due to heavy rains in Goa.

PTI