Goa Pro League: Dempo Sports Club outclass Sesa Football Academy

Uttam Rai shone with a brace for the Golden Eagles.

Dempo Sports Club started the season on a high note, as they outclassed Sesa Football Academy 4-1 in the Goa Pro League match played on Monday.

Beevan D’Mello opened the tally in the ninth minute. Uttam scored in first half added-time to put Dempo in the driver's seat. The start of the second half saw Sesa reduce the defecit through Kunal Salgaonkar. But, goals from Gaurav Vaigankar and Uttam in the last 10 minutes sealed the victory for the Golden Eagles. 

Both Dempo and Sesa Football Academy had a few changes in their respective lineups. Dempo’s newly-signed keeper Melroy Fernandes along with Gaurav Vaigankar, Uttam Rai and U-20 Richard Cardozo found a place in Samir Naik’s XI. Sesa tactician Charles Dias named experienced Cajetan Fernandes, Suraj Singh and Domnic Soares in his team.

Dempo started the match on an attacking note. In the very first minute, Pruthvesh Pednekar tried to find Uttam in the box with a low cross. But ,Sesa defender Myran Pereira made a timely clearance. A few minutes later, Myran once again rescued his side. This time Beevan D’Mello’s goalbound strike was cleared off the line by a defender to keep his side safe.

However, they could not restrict the Golden Eagles for long. Keeper Sapam Singh received a back-pass from Sandeep S and tried to clear the danger. But, Beevan got on the ball outside the box and slotted it into an empty net to put his side into the lead.

Beevan had a similar opportunity to double their lead in the 19th minute. He received a back-pass from Sesa’s Domnic on the edge of the box annd went for glory only to see it miss by inches. At the half hour mark, Beevan and Richard combined well as Beevan set up the winger in the box. The winger later covered some ground and found Uttam with a low cross, but the forward failed to tap the ball home from close range.

However, Dempo further extended their lead in first half added-time. A long pass from Richard was nicely collected by Uttam, who made a swift run into the box and shot past the keeper to make it 2-0 to the Golden Eagles.

Sesa regrouped in the break and came out stronger in the second 45. They managed to reduce the margin in the 53rd minute. Dempo keeper Melroy and defender Shallum Pires failed to clear a long throw-in from Sesa’s Aniket Thakur. The loose ball rolled to an unmarked Kunal Salgaonkar, who slotted in to make it 2-1.

Four minutes later, Sesa came close to finding an equalizer. Dempo keeper Melroy came off his line to clear a long ball, but it fell to substitute Myron Borges. He went for glory from distance, but the ball missed the target by a whisker. Thereafter, the proceedings were dictated by the Academy boys with successive attacks. However, the last 10 minutes saw the Golden Eagles snatching two goals. First, Shallum sent a long free-kick to the onrushing Gaurav in the box. He easily tapped it in from close range to make it 3-1 in the 80th minute.

Three minutes later, Uttam scored his second and the fourth for his side. Substitute Suraj Hadkonkar made a perfect through pass to another substitute Ariston Costa. He selflessly setup the forward with a short pass and the latter made no mistake to find the net.

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