Dempo beat Air India 3-1

Ranty Martins's brace guided defending champions Dempo to an emphatic 3-1 victory over Air India in an ONGC I-League match, at the Nehru stadium, in Fatorda, Goa, on Sunday.

Dempo, who led 1-0 at half-time, scored through Ranty Martins (38th, 78th minutes) and Climax Lawerence (55th).

Air India reduced the margin through Ravinder Singh in the 60th minute.

Dempo, with two wins and a loss, have six points from three matches, while Air India, who suffered their first defeat, remain on eight points from five matches.

Dempo met with initial resistance from Air India, but dictated terms thereafter, with Lawerence and Nascimento Silveira controlling the midfield, but their strikers, particularly Mboyo Iyomi, were wasteful.

Air India goalkeepeer Arup Debnath, who was replaced in the second half after getting injured, too brought off fine saves, denying Lawerence and Iyomi an early goal.

Dempo surged ahead in the 38th minute from a penalty when keeper Debnath brought down Martins inside the box as he was about to score. Ranty made no mistake with the kick, beating the keeper to his left.

A goal up at the breather, Dempo continued to dominate after the change of ends, with man of the match Lawerence orchestrating good moves from the middle. They increased the lead in the 55th minute when he headed home a well-directed lob from Anthony Pereira from the right.

Air India, forced on the defensive, came up with a couple of counter moves and reduced the margin in the 60th minute through defender Ravinder Singh, whose free-kick beat keeper Satish Kumar all ends. The free-kick was awarded on the top of the box after defender Mahesh Gawli brought down Subhas Singh.

Dempo then sealed Air India's fate when Martins scored in the 78th minute.

Defender Valeriano Rebello, who overlapped well on the right, sent a long lob to Mboyo in the middle, the latter released the ball to unmark Martins, who chipped the ball over the advancing  keeper into the net.

Referee P K Bose showed yellow card to Dempo's Clifford Miranda and Air India's Emmanuel Ovieghara.