Team Goemkarponn
Fatorda: Dempo Sports Club put in a valiant performance but fell just short as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Gokulam Kerala FC in their I-League 2024-25 clash on Tuesday.
Gokulam’s Abhijith Kurungodan scored the lone goal of the game in the 86th minute, thus inflicting third straight defeat on the Golden Eagles. Dempo SC has now conceded late goals for second successive games.
Dempo came out of the blocks with purpose and almost took the lead within the opening minutes. In the 7th minute, a precise cross from Pruthvesh Pednekar found Shubham Rawat in the box. His well-timed volley struck the crossbar, rebounding off goalkeeper Shibinraj Kunniyil’s shoulder but failing to find the net.
After the initial push, Gokulam Kerala found their rhythm and tested Dempo’s defense. Goalkeeper Ashish Sibi was called into action multiple times, pulling off crucial saves to keep the scores level. In the 42nd minute, Gokulam’s Adama Niane squandered a golden opportunity inside the six-yard box, allowing Dempo to go into halftime with the game still finely poised.
The second half saw Dempo continue to battle hard, with Sibi making another outstanding double save in the 51st minute, denying a powerful attempt from Ignacio Loyola. As Gokulam pressed forward, Dempo remained disciplined at the back, while also seeking opportunities on the counter.
However, the deadlock was finally broken in the 86th minute. Gokulam’s Martin Chaves dribbled into the box and squared a pass to Abhijith Kurungodan, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net, leaving Dempo with little time to respond.
Dempo had one final chance to salvage a point when Laximanrao Rane set up Rawat inside the box, but the forward’s shot went agonizingly wide, bringing an end to a closely contested match.
