Goa, March 19 Churchill Brothers FC Goa continued their I-League 2024-25 title challenge with a commanding 3-1 victory against Dempo SC in the highly anticipated Goa Derby at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday. The Red Machines led 2-0 at the break
Dempo defender Mohamed Ali’s (26’ og) own goal put Churchill Brothers in the lead, before Wayde Lekay (35’) stole the show, scoring one goal and setting up another for Stendly Fernandes (58’). Shaher Shaheen (66’) scored a consolation goal for Dempo at the end. Lekay’s performance saw him climb to third in the league’s goal-scoring charts, taking his tally to 11 goals for the season.
The victory kept Churchill Brothers well in the hunt for the I-League 2024-25 title race, as they move on to 37 points from 19 matches, three ahead of Inter Kashi, who have played one match less. Dempo, meanwhile remain ninth with 22 points from 19 matches, just three points clear of the drop zone.
From the opening whistle, Churchill Brothers dictated the tempo and looked the more organised and purposeful side. They used the width of the pitch effectively, stretching the Dempo defence and probing for gaps. Their persistent pressure paid off in the 26th minute, albeit with a touch of fortune.
A ball was played into the Dempo box, and Lekay fired a low shot towards goal. In an attempt to clear the danger, Dempo’s Mohamed Ali misjudged his clearance and inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing Churchill Brothers the lead.
The Red Machines capitalised on their momentum and doubled their advantage in the 35th minute. A perfectly-weighted through ball split the Dempo defence, releasing Lekay in a one-on-one situation. The South African striker kept his composure, slotting the ball past a helpless Ashish Sibi to make it 2-0.
Dempo attempted a second-half comeback and were handed a golden opportunity in the 56th minute when Kingslee Fernandes brought down Juan Mera inside the box. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, but Marcus Joseph failed to capitalise, sending his effort high over the crossbar, much to the dismay of the Dempo camp.
Two minutes later, Churchill Brothers put the game to bed. Lamgoulen Semkholun showcased his vision, threading a brilliant pass to Lekay, who flicked it into the path of Fernandes. The midfielder made no mistake, rifling his shot home to extend Churchill’s lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute.
Dempo finally pulled one back in the 66th minute through a set-piece. A well-delivered free-kick found Shaher Shaheen, who rose above the defence to head home.
However, the goal proved too little, too late, as Churchill Brothers held firm in defence to secure a crucial three points.
--IANS
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