I-League: Babovic strikes again as Dempo continue fine away run
Ludhiana: Dempo SC rode on Matija Babović’s early strike in the second half to beat Namdhari FC 1-0 in the third round of I-League at the Namdhari Stadium here on Tuesday.
It was Dempo’s third clean sheet and second win in a row that takes them to the top of the table for the time being with seven points. Last week, they had beaten Shillong Lajong 2-0, with Serbian Babović scoring the second.
Namdhari, on the other hand, remain winless and down in 10th spot with a solitary point.
The meeting between record champions Dempo SC and relative newcomers Namdhari FC began with a flurry of chances for the former.
Dempo got their first big chance in just the fourth minute as an unmarked Seigoumang Doungel miscued an accurately-delivered Damián Pérez free-kick. Minutes later, the Argentinian saw two long-range attempts flash wide.
After withstanding the early pressure from the visitors, it was Namdhari’s turn to test Dempo’s line of defence.
Fernando Capobianco’s side were particularly threatening from set-pieces. Ghanaian midfielder Joseph Gordon nearly caught Ashish Sibi wrongfooted from his curling free-kick but the Dempo goalkeeper recovered in time to push it out.
Francis Addo, returning after serving a one-game suspension due to his red card against Delhi FC, was denied the opening goal by a crucial deflection from Mohamed Ali. The Dempo captain stuck his leg out to divert the Ghanaian’s powerful strike off target.
In the 38th minute, Addo went for an acrobatic volley from a Bhupinder Singh corner that would’ve surely been a goal of the season contender had Sibi not been alert to make the save. Dempo were once again quicker off the blocks at the start of the second half, and this time Namdhari were caught napping.
The Golden Eagles got the breakthrough in the 47th minute when Knerkitalang Buam’s long ball unlocked the hosts’ high backline, allowing Babović to run behind and poke the ball past a hapless Nishan Singh.
Babović almost got another one six minutes later as he glanced a header from a Mohamed Ali cross over the bar.
