Dempo holds Salgaocar to 1-1 draw

Panaji: Dempo put up an improved performance in the second half to hold Salgaocar Sports Club 1-1 and split

points in the second round I-League match at Tilak ground here today. The hosts now have four points from a win and a draw, while Salgaocar, whose first match was called off against Viva Kerala, have collected one point from one match. Dempo, who made Mumbai Football Club dance to their tunes in their lung opener, were found wanting in defense in the absence of star defender Mahesh Gawli. Visitors Salgaocar, who controlled the proceedings in the first half, took the lead as early as the 4th minute, when Ekena Ikenwa headed home a corner kick taken from the right by Manjit Singh. The home team had two good chances to equalise but striker Sunil Chhetri wasted them as he drove the ball over the bar. It was in the second half, Dempo found their rhythm and Roberto D`silva, their playmaker who had scored against Mumbai FC, found the equaliser in the 48th minute off a pass from Nicolau Borges, who was later awarded the man of the match. Dempo`s defender Anwar put up a solid performance in the defense in the absence of Gawali and came off with a goal line save even as the hosts struggled to come to terms against their opponents in the first half. "It was a good match. Although our boys failed to live up to their expectation in the first put up an improved performance, we missed couple of sitters. We will rectify our mistakes and do better in the next match," Dempo`s coach Armando Colaco said after the match. Salgaocar`s coach Tim Hankinson was pleased with his boys performance against a tough opponent. "They dominated the first half but failed to maintain the same momentum in the second half. The frontline lacked the finishing touches. We are going to get two more foreigners which will fill the gap," he said. Bureau Report