Jaipur, Jan 19 Dempo Sports Club broke their three-match losing streak in the I-League 2024-25 with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against hosts Rajasthan United at the Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium on Sunday.
The result maintained the team’s position on the table and won the visitors their first points of the New Year. After the ninth round campaign, Rajasthan have 12 points, while Dempo have 11.
In a sedate and often motionless first half, both moments of action saw Dempo goalkeeper Ashish Sibi front and centre. The first of those came in the 31st minute when the young showstopper spilled a cross from Alain Oyarzun straight into the path of Gerard Artigas in the six-yard box. The Spaniard duly smashed it home to give the hosts the lead.
If a case could be made for Sibi’s error, it would be to acknowledge the pressure put on him by Naoba Meitei, who contested the aerial ball before it dropped loose.
Seven minutes later though the Dempo shot-stopper atoned for his error in some style. After some ping ball in the Dempo box from a deep cross, Lucas Cabral’s shot was saved by Sibi, before a follow-up from Naoba was adjudged to have been handled in the box by a Dempo defender. The referee duly pointed to the spot and Oyarzun stepped up to take it.
The Spaniard went to the right bottom corner and Sibi followed, saving smartly and pushing it away firmly to deny a follow-up. He kept Dempo in the game.
It proved to be invaluable as the visitors slowly clawed their way back into the game in the second half, not just denying Rajasthan chances but also looking dangerous on the attack themselves.
Both goalkeepers’ skills and concentration were on display with a variety of saves, interceptions and blocks initiated to keep the score as it was.
In the 76th minute though, Dempo broke through, finding the all crucial equaliser via Shaher Shaheen. The Syrian midfielder snuck in at the far post after Pruthvesh Pednekar had headed the ball for him to finish from close range.
Rajasthan had a chance to win it right at the end, when William Neihsial’s cross on the left, was headed towards the far post by Artigas in the box. The Spaniard’s header went agonisingly wide. The teams settled for a point apiece.
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