I-LEAGUE Media Team

GOA: Dempo Sports Club did their chances of moving up the ladder no good after only managing a goalless draw against Bharat FC in a Hero I-League clash at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Friday.

Dempo have nine points from 10 matches and are placed ninth on the table. This match was a chance for Trevor Morgan to secure his first win with Dempo but the hosts were found wanting.

Without three foreign players — Carlos Hernandez (suspended), Tolgay Ozbey (injured) and Haroon Amiri (international duty) — Dempo were a bit below strength but they still had plenty of players who could turn matches on their own, notably India midfielder Francis Fernandes and Lenny Rodrigues.

Dempo, though, were far from convincing right from the start. Their first attack on goal came in the 17th minute when Debabrata Roy’s cross from the left saw Joy Ferrao direct it towards the goal but goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya was on hand to avert danger.

The ball was mostly confined to the midfield as both teams did not have the wherewithal to put the opposition under pressure. Bharat FC relied on long balls that defender Calum Angus easily dealt with, and whenever the visitors got the better  of Angus in defence, goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani proved  a hard nut to crack.

The Dempo goalkeeper was called into action in the 26th minute when Steven Dias’ cross was met with a diving header by Kris Bright but Kattimani did well to dive to his left.

Towards the closing stages of the first half, both teams had a chance to draw first blood. A cross from Lester on a counter attack was nipped in the bud by an alert goalkeeper and at the other end, and Alwyn George was found wanting with the ball at his feet.

In the second session, Dempo created more chances. Alwyn was again the culprit as he miscued his shot completely when he was all alone inside the box.

Dempo could have still collected full points if not for some brilliant goalkeeping from Arindam. Lenny Rodrigues believed he had done enough to score the first goal of the match from inside the box, only for Arindam to rescue his side with a brilliant save.

Hero of the Match – Calum Angus (DEM)