Defending champions Dempo Sports Club of Goa crashed out of the Federation Cup football tournament, losing 1-2 to Bangalore's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in the opening match of the tournament at the Nehru stadium, in Margao, Goa, on Wednesday.
The champions paid a heavy price for poor finishing as they frittered away chances galore. HAL had just two one in each half and capitalized on them to earn a quarter-final meeting with either JCT or Mahindra United.
Federation Cup - Complete coverage
The Bangalore side forged ahead much against the run of play in the 20th minute following a stray raid into the Dempo box. Sunil latched on to a long lofted ball from midfielder M Zenith and tapped it past Dempo goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal.
Straight from the restart the defending champions had a chance to restore parity but Ranty Martins was thwarted by goalkeeper Gumpe Rime, who brought off a fine save, diving to his right to parry away a header from the Nigerian international.
But Martins levelled the score in the 41st minute with a brilliant solo effort, dribbling past a bunch of HAL defenders and placing the ball into the net.
The second session, played under a steady drizzle, saw Dempo continue to call the shots but fail to find the target as goalkeeper Rime, who was later adjudged man of the match, proved hard to beat.
And like the opening goal, HAL clinched the issue from breakaway move into Dempo territory in the second minute of stoppage time. Xavier Vijaykumar, who also had a fine match, displayed fine opportunism to tap the ball home after Mondal had fisted the ball way to silence the strong compliment of Dempo supporters that turned up for the match.
A minute's silence in memory of former Dempo striker Cristiano Junior, who collapsed and died during the final against Mohun Bagan in the last Federation Cup, was observed before the match.
More from rediff