By IANS
Ludhiana : Dempo Sports Club of Goa will face the famed Mumbai outfit Mahindra United in the semi-finals Wednesday after registering a facile 2-0 win over 10-man Churchill Brothers in the quarterfinals of the 29th Federation Cup football tournament here Monday.
Goals from Nigerians Ranty Martins (14th) and Edeh Chidi (35th) helped the national league champions stamp their supremacy over Churchill, which lost their goalkeeper Vinay Singh in the 17th minute after he was red-carded at the Guru Nanak Stadium.
Dempo, the costliest team ever in the history of Indian football, were superior throughout and were in the attacking mode right from the start. They found the opening goal in the 14th minute from a firm header by Martins, who was cleverly set up in the box by his compatriot Chidi.
The lethal combination of Chidi and Martins gave a horrid time to the Churchill defenders. It was only a matter of time for the defenders to commit a mistake and the expected happened in the 17th minute when Martins charged in with a solo run and the goalkeeper Singh committed an unpardonable error by handling the ball outside the box. Singh was immediately given marching orders and Lalit Thapa replaced him under the bar.
Nothing could stop the Nigerians and they simply toyed with Churchill’s defence. In the 21st minute Chidi came close to net in his second goal but his scorching right footer missed the bar by a whisker. Eight minutes later the duo had another chance to double the lead when they kept on passing to each other in the box and the defenders did well to cut down their angle and Chidi shot it wide.
Thapa, who replaced Singh, made his presence felt when he thwarted a penalty shot by Chidi. Dempo were awarded the penalty kick after Vinu Josh brought down the Nigerian in the box in the 32nd minute.
Chidi atoned for it, three minutes later, when he found the net from a Clifford Miranda cross. Chidi, who was lurking in the box, was tactfully set up by Miranda’s cross from the left and the Nigerian’s header kissed the post on its way in.
Chruchill lacked the firepower and had just two chances and captain Odafe Onyeka Okolie messed up one.
The Dempo defence was rock-solid and coach Armando Colaco said that they had worked on it and also planned not to give any room to Okolie.
“We made use of the ball possession and Mahesh Gawli, John Dias, Jerry Zirsanga and Clifford Miranda really played well,” said Colaco.
Churchill’s Moroccan coach Karim Bencharifa admitted that after losing their goalkeeper the boys lost the rhythm and his players were repeatedly blocked.
“Dempo is an excellent team with some quality players. I take the blame but I am helpless,” said the Moroccan.
TEAMS:
Dempo: Abhijit Mondal (goalkeeper), Sameer Naik, Mahesh Gawli, John
Dias, Valeriano Rebello, Clifford Miranda, Roberto Silva Beto, Climax
Lawrence, Jerry Zirsinga (Peter Carvalho, 73rd), Ranty Martins, Edeh
Chiddi
Churchill Brothers: Vinay Singh (goalkeeper), Gourmangi Singh, Robert
Lalthlamvana, Naoba Singh, Khan Thang Paite, Zenith Genius, Chandam
Singh, Raju. D (Lalit Thapa, 30th), Vinu Josh (Govin Singh, 37), Odafe
Onyeka Okolie, Stephen Mbanyam
Referee: Rizwan ul-Haq (Delhi)