Salgaocar whip Dempo

Former champions Salgaocar put up a dazzling display to rout Dempo 3-1 and avenge the defeat they suffered in the first leg, in their 18th round National Football League match at the Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa, on Thursday.

All the winner's goals came in the first-half.

Sunday Seah (6th minute), Jatin Bhist (18th) and substitute Sabastiano Endro (32nd) scored for Salgaocar, while Dempo's lone goal came in the 85th minute through Mario Soares.

With this win, Salgacoar boosted their tally to 32 points and moved to the third place, relegating JCT to fourth.

East Bengal lead the table with 43 points, followed by Vasco, 34 points.

Dempo remain in sixth spot with 23 points, below Mohan Bagan, who have 29 points.

Salgaocar played to a plan, gaining control of the midfield, where Tomba Singh and Jatin Bhist gave a good account of themselves, particularly in the first-half, feeding their forwards with well-calculated accurate passes.

In an one-sided affair, Salgaocar started with full steam and toyed with the sloppy defence of the rivals right from the word go and drew first blood as early as in the sixth minute of the first-half through striker Sunday Seah, who, after receiving a cross from Tomba Singh, beat rival goalkeeper Abhjit Mandal witha fine header.

Inspired by the early lead, Salgacoar tasted success again in the 18th minute through Jatin Bhist. The goal was a result of a fine combined move. Sunday Seah passed to Tomba Singh, who switched over the ball to a well-positioned Bhist, whose carpet drive shot found the far corner of the net - 2-0.

Substitute Sabastiano Endro, who came in place of injured Samson Singh made it 3-0 after collecting a pass from Tomba Singh.

After conceding three goals, Dempo's shaky goalkeeper Abhjit Mondal was replaced by Francis Fernandes. Not a single good move was seen from Dempo side in the first-half.

There was not much of an action in the second-half. The only good chance Dempo had in the second-half, in the 85th minute, was encashed by Mario Soares, off a pass from Chenna Endril, to reduce the margin - 1-3.

Jatin Bhist was adjudged the man of the match.