I-League: Salgaocar, Dempo face each other in battle of survival

Vasco: It's a do or die situation for both Salgaocar FC and Dempo FC as they face each other in a battle of survival in the final round of the Hero I-League football tournament at the Tilak Stadium here tomorrow.

Salgaocar, who started the season with a bang winning the Durand Cup and Goa's Pro League, were expected as one of the favourite to win the title but unfortunately injuries to their key players especially Darryl Duffy and Dawson Fernandes hurt the side badly as they failed to win matches despite dominating and now need atleast a draw to avoid relegation.

The 5-1 demolition of Bharat FC in their last outing at home would have defnitely given a boost to their morale ahead of tomorrow's clash, but past form and history will hardly count tomorrow.

"The mood in the camp is upbeat and the boys are raring to go. It is a massive game for us but the fact of the matter is that things are still in our hands. We will look to play our natural game and more importantly stick to the basics," said Salgaocar coach Derrick Pereira.

If Salgaocar lose tomorrow, they still can avoid relegation but their fate will then depend on the results of other matches.

"Needing a draw in the final encounter can sometimes be a tricky situation to be in. But that's where we find ourselves currently. We will look to put in a strong performance tomorrow and hopefully end the season on a high," Pereira said.

On the other hand, Dempo, who are more comfortable playing at Nehru Stadium, have no choice but to win tomorrow to avoid relegation as they have just 19 points in their kitty.

"The boys are all rearing to go for the kill as they have no way but to win tomorrow at any cost to survive. We play open game on the flanks and Tilak being a little smaller ground we will find things to open the rival defense. They (Salgaocar) will try to defend themselves as they need only a draw for survival," Dempo's assistant coach Maurico Afonso said.

In all likelyhood, Salgaocar coach Pereira will field an unchanged starting eleven, the one that beat Bharat FC, tomorrow.