Dempo beats Lajong 4-1

Panaji, Nov 10: Dempo Sports Club regained their place at the top with a 4-1 victory over Shillong  Lajong Football Club in a fifth round clash of the I-League at the Nehru Stadium,  Fatorda, on Saturday.

Dempo struggled to enforce themselves in a manner they usually do but a brace from  Ryuji Sueoka, including a penalty, and one each from Clifford Miranda and Anthony  Pereira was enough to take their points tally to 13 and leapfrog Churchill  Brothers (12).

Shillong Lajong pulled a goal back in the second session through Jibon Singh but  the visitors, in the end, paid a price for their lack of experience.

Joaquim Abranches missed from close range as early as the fifth minute and then  Anthony Pereira’s blistering attempt struck the crossbar. But it was not until the  stroke of half time that Dempo managed to take the lead.

A long ball from Dempo’s half saw Anthony Pereira and Climax Lawrence interchange  nicely. Climax then controlled the ball and essayed a cross into the heart of the  Lajong goalmouth where Sueoka was on hand to head home.

In the second session, Lajong came out strong and Lalramluaha Hmar missed to open  the account.

At the other end, in the 50th minute, Dempo made it 2-0 when a quick move  initiated by Peter Carvalho saw Anthony Pereira cross into the goalmouth where  Sueoka headed the ball only to find the post. He again shot from the rebound which  was saved brilliantly by Lajong goalkeeper Lalthuammawia, but the next rebound  fell nicely at the feet of Clifford Miranda who scored with ease.

When all seemed lost, Lajong showed they were still in the game with a goal in the  73rd minute. The dangerous Lalramluaha was in the thick of action, and this time  he beat goalkeeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury with a brilliant in-stepper after  being fed by Sushil.

Despite a couple of more attacks on goal, the equalizer, though, eluded them. Instead, it were Dempo who scored two more goals as the hosts first won a penalty  which Sueoka easily converted in the 87th minute of play and then Anthony also  added his name to the scoresheet with a simple tap in added time. (AIFF media team
report).