Kolkata: Two second-half goals from Ranty Martins helped leaders Dempo blank 10-man Pailan Arrows 2-0 in their return-leg round 20 I-League fixture at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday.
In an unimpressive first half, Dempo failed to take the lead even as Arrows were reduced to 10 players after goalkeeper Naveen Kumar was sent off in the 34th minute.
Despite being a man down, the Arrows had the better of possession while Dempo fluffed chances.
But Martins broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute and completed a double with an 83rd-minute strike, helping Dempo consolidate their lead with 43 points from 20 matches as they returned to winning ways after their loss to Pune FC.
The Arrows, on the other hand, remained winless with eight points from 18 outings.
The match started off in a rough manner with the Arrows duo of Bikramjit Sinha and Prathamesh Maulingkar and Dempo`s Clifford Miranda being cautioned with yellow cards within the first three minutes.
In the ninth mintue, Anthony got the first chance of the match with a header, which went over the bar.
It took about 20 minutes for Dempo to start putting together their passes while Arrows dished out some tactical moves and attacking display.
The home side suffered a big blow when Naveen came out out of the box and brought down Koko Sakibo, which resulted in a red card.
After the changeover, a goalkeeping error by rookie Sayan Roy gifted Martins an easy goal and the lead.
The move came from a Valeriano Rebello cross from the right flank as Roy misjudged the ball after coming off the line.
Martins took the maximum advantage for an easy goal, something that brought respite to the Goans` camp.
The Nigerian completed a double by utilising a brilliant cross by Anthony Perreira from the right as an unmarked Martins trapped the ball in after beating Roy.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 12, 2012, 18:43