I-League: Dempo blank Inter Kashi; Churchill Brothers eke past Gokulam Kerala

Ashish Sibi’s heroics in Dempo’s goal helped the visiting side take a huge 2-0 win against ten-man Inter Kashi in the 2024-25 I-League on Friday.

Damian Perez Roa's goals at the end of each half guaranteed Dempo the points and their second win in the last eight games. Inter Kashi’s loss meant they missed a chance to haul back some points on the two teams above them on the points table.

While title aspirants Inter Kashi were left rooted to the third place in the points table with 21 points from 13 matches, Dempo now have 17 points from 13 outings.

The first half exploded into action almost immediately, with the home side utterly dominant in the early going, even if their aggressive approach also led to several fouls.

The first real chance was created by Matija Babovic, who collected Edmund Lalrindika’s pass from the right wing, and in one smooth motion, turned to shoot at the Dempo goal. It ran wide.

A few minutes later, Sarthak Goloui blazed high from outside the box after an intricate Inter Kashi move found him with the ball. Just as it seemed that Inter Kashi were knocking at the door and closer to getting the opener, disaster struck.

Having picked up an early card, defender Sandip Mandi was shown a second yellow for a reckless challenge in the 36th minute, reducing the hosts to 10, with an hour of the game to play.

Things got worse six minutes later, when Juan Mera and Damian combined to score the opener for Dempo. The former’s brilliant run culminated with a perfect cutback to the centre of the box, which Damian slammed first time into the far corner. Dempo had a shock lead.

Inter Kashi’s ten men weren’t about to go away though and right at the end of the half, they almost drew level.

First, Babovic, played through, one on one, slid a shot towards goal only to be thwarted by Ashish Sibi’s outstretched leg. The goalkeeper’s brilliance wasn’t done though.

From the badly cleared follow up, Lalrindika picked up the ball, swerved and turned before firing towards the far corner from outside the box. At full stretch Sibi palmed it away.

Sibi’s heroics kept Dempo’s lead intact well into the second half. The keeper bettered his saves with every attempt, palming the ball away with one hand in the 60th minute, when Lalrindika had run free into a one on one, and attempted to dink the ball into goal.

Five minutes later, Kashi had a penalty, when Domingo Berlanga was adjudged to have been brought down inside the box by Shallum Pires.

The Spaniard lined up the spot kick, and shot low, towards the bottom corner. Despite having overshot his dive, Sibi adjusted, to palm it away. Dempo’s lead remained intact.

Dempo’s goalkeeper had single-handedly kept his side in the game and ironically, Kashi’s defence and goalkeeper combined to ensure the hosts’ collapse.

In the 81st minute, Arindam Bhattacharya came way off his line to deal with a long ball from Dempo. At the same time, defender V Bijoy, unaware, looked to head the ball back towards safety.

Their calamitous communication gifted the ball to Roa, who ran it into the goal to double Dempo’s lead. Despite a few half scares right at the end, they held on to take a big win.

Churchill Brothers beat Gokulam Kerala

Churchill Brothers continued to impress in the 2024-25 I League as they eked past Gokulam Kerala FC 2-1 on Friday.

The victory, highlighted by goals from Lalremruata Ralte and Kingslee Fernandes, reinforced Churchill Brothers’ status at the top of the I-League table, with 26 points from 13 matches.

They are two points ahead of Namdhari FC, who will play their 13th match on Saturday against Shillong Lajong FC.

For Gokulam Kerala, M Soosairaj reduced the margin in the added time of the match.

Churchill Brothers demonstrated on Friday why they are one of the high-scoring teams this season as they pushed their goal count to 26. The match was a testament to their relentless attack and strategic play, which has seen them notch eight wins this campaign so far.

Gokulam Kerala, on the other hand, suffered their second consecutive loss. They struggled to find their rhythm and managed only two shots on target throughout the match, reflecting their frustration and sixth position in the standings with 19 points.

From the outset, Churchill Brothers imposed their game plan effectively, utilising high pressing and quick passing to disrupt Gokulam Kerala’s setup.

Their dynamic play stretched the width of the pitch, allowing them to penetrate Gokulam’s defence with relative ease. Despite several attempts that rattled the woodwork and some fine saves by goalkeeper Shibin Raj Kunniyil, Churchill’s dominance was palpable.

The breakthrough came in the 21st minute. Lalremruata Ralte’s free-kick from the top of the box deflected off Gokulam Kerala midfielder Sergio Llamas, who was part of the wall, and wrong-footed Kunniyil as it nestled into the net.

This early goal underscored Churchill Brothers’ intent and set the tone for the rest of the match.

Churchill continued to threaten Gokulam Kerala’s goal throughout the first half. Notably, Sebastian Gutierrez and Wayde Lekay, the league’s joint second top scorer with nine strikes, were instrumental in creating multiple scoring opportunities.

Gutierrez’s efforts particularly stood out, though Lekay was unlucky, hitting the woodwork and failing to capitalise on a well-set chance.

The second half mirrored the first, with Churchill Brothers maintaining control and creating numerous opportunities. Their persistent efforts paid off in the 62nd minute when Kingslee Fernandes doubled the lead.

Receiving a clever pass from Gutierrez, Fernandes twisted and turned before slotting the ball through the legs of Gokulam Kerala defender Salam Ranjan Singh and effectively sealing the match for his team.

Despite the overwhelming control by Churchill Brothers, Gokulam Kerala found a late consolation goal in stoppage time through M Soosairaj, who injected much-needed energy after coming on as a substitute.

His determined effort took a deflection off Nischal Chandan and managed to find the back of the net, providing a slight reprieve for the struggling side. However, the goal came in too little, too late.