The Hindu : Sport / Football : Dempo downs Mohd. Sporting

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Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

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Sport - Football

Dempo downs Mohd. Sporting

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: Ranty Martins Soleye earned Dempo Sports Club its first victory in the ongoing ONGC 10th National Football Leagueon Friday. The defending champion downed Mohammedan Sporting 2-0 in the sixth round to lift itself up from the bottom of the standing.

A measured John Dias pass in the 24th minute was enough for marksman Martins to find the net and 20 minutes later he produced a solo effort from mid-field to score..

Dempo's masterstroke was to bottle up Patrick Okonji completely to take the sting out of the Sporting's attack.

Dempo controlled the midfield and moved quickly into the attack whenever an opportunity presented itself. The Mohammedan Sporting defence showed poor anticipation and paid dearly for not keeping Martins under check. Martins had been Dempo's talisman and he would continue to be one.This win gave Dempo three points to log with six from one victory, three draws and two losses. Mohammedan Sporting has won three and and drawn one to stay on 10 points.

Mohammedan Sporting will now travel to Goa to take on Air-India in the seventh round on February 7. This match, scheduled for February 6, has been shifted to Goa owing to poor ground conditions at the Cooperage.

PTI adds

Yusif Yakubu's double strike helped Mahindra United beat Salgaocar SC 2-1 in their NFL match played at Margao on Thursday. Bruno Oliveira reduced the margin for Salgaocar.

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