Kozhikode: In a match that had all the drama, goals, and tension of a classic season finale, Dempo SC produced a sensational comeback to defeat title-chasing Gokulam Kerala FC 4-3 at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, silencing a packed home crowd and ending their I-League 2024–25 campaign in unforgettable fashion.
Down by two goals inside the opening 11 minutes thanks to a blistering brace from Thabiso Brown, Samir Naik’s men showed grit, guile and remarkable character to flip the script. Cristian Damian Perez (21’, 90+4’) led the charge with a brace of his own, while Kapil Hoble (34’) and Didier Brossou (71’) chipped in to seal the win.
The game, billed as a must-win for Gokulam to stay in the title hunt, was supposed to be a coronation. Instead Dempo SC turned it into a statement, a thunderous reminder that the Golden Eagles have arrived, and they’re here to compete with the best.
Gokulam wasted no time making their intentions clear. Barely four minutes in, Brown muscled past Dempo captain Shaher Shaheen to slot past Ashish Sibi for the opener. The EMS erupted. When Brown added his second seven minutes later, a simple tap-in from Ignacio de Loyola’s low cross it felt like the script was writing itself.
But Dempo, wounded yet unfazed, responded like a side with nothing to lose and everything to prove. They grew into the game with composure, probing passes and clever movement pinning Gokulam back. The reward came in the 21st minute when Cristian Perez rifled in a rocket from the edge of the box. The Argentine’s strike was pure venom a thunderclap that cut through the tension.
By the 34th, the comeback was complete. A peach of a cross from Marcus Joseph split the Gokulam defence wide open and Kapil Hoble, arriving with precision, buried it with confidence. From 0–2 to 2–2, Dempo had wrestled back momentum with style.
Before the break, Gokulam tried to restore control twice coming inches away. De Loyola’s thunderous volley struck the post and another point-blank header was somehow tipped over by Sibi, whose shot-stopping once again proved crucial.
The second half began, Sibi was again called into action, this time acrobatically tipping a goal-bound header onto the bar the kind of save that swings momentum. When Mashoor Shereef picked up his second yellow in the 64th minute, Gokulam’s grip on the title began to loosen.
Dempo, ever-alert, sensed their moment. In the 71st, Didier Brossou towered over his marker and thumped home a bullet header from a Perez delivery a deserved lead and poetic reward for the Ivorian workhorse. Although Brown completed his hat-trick minutes later to level the tie at 3-3, Dempo’s spirit never wavered.
With Gokulam throwing bodies forward in a desperate bid to salvage their title hopes, Naik’s men held their nerve. Deep into stoppage time, Nesto Dias sparked a counter, and when his effort was parried, Perez was in the right place the perfect poacher’s finish with the outside of his boot into the top corner.
Cue delirium on the Dempo bench. The travelling squad swarmed Perez as the referee blew the final whistle. Against the odds, under pressure, away from home Dempo had delivered a masterclass in resolve and ruthlessness.
For Gokulam Kerala, heartbreak. For Dempo SC, a performance to savour and one that sets the tone for a promising future. Ending their campaign in ninth place might not tell the full story, but nights like these do.
The Golden Eagles, back in the I-League after nearly a decade, have shown they belong. And as the final whistle echoed across Kozhikode, it was clear Dempo SC are writing a new chapter and it’s only just begun.
