Kolkata: Joacquim Abranches scored one goal in each half as defending champions Dempo SC reclaimed the top position with a facile 2-1 win over Pailan Arrows at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Saturday.
The AIFF developmental outfit, playing without any foreigner, reduced the margin at the stroke of half-time and put pressure but could not get another goal.
It was their fifth loss after 11 matches to be at seventh in the table with 14 points. Dempo drew first blood in the 10th minute when Abranches snatches the ball from Arrows goalkeeper Ravi Kumar with a fine dribble before tapping it into an empty net. As the Arrows were penetrative, the AIFF side earned a penalty when Alwyn George’s header from a Milan Singh corner hit Selwin Fernandez’s stretched out hand inside the box. Milan Singh converted from the spot kick in the 43rd minute to bring in the equaliser.
But the Goans settled the issue with Abranches completing his brace. Meanwhile, ONGC drubed Shillong Lajong 3-0. The bottom-placed outfit continued their good form at home, defeating an out of sorts Lajong. Eric Brown scored in the 19th minute. Katsumi doubled the lead early on in the second half. The Japanese capped off what has been a good day in office for him, ten minutes from full time.
