A clinical Rajasthan FC looked more at home than hosts Dempo Sports Club, securing a commanding 4-0 win in an I-League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Saturday.
Spanish striker Gerard Artigas opened the scoring in the 45th minute before Uruguayan substitute Lucas Rodriguez Cabral (49th), Naoba Meetei (61st) and Spanish Alain Oyarzun (86th) added to the tally to help Rajasthan FC extend their unbeaten run to eight matches in the tournament.
Rajasthan's turnaround has been truly dramatic. After being humiliated by Shillong Lajong FC 0-8 on December 8 last, the Jaipur-based side have remained unbeaten on eight consecutive matches and have taken home 16 points.
Currently, they are fourth in the standings after playing 12 matches and level on points with third-placed Gokulam Kerala FC. Both are at 19 points, though Rajasthan have played one game more.
Dempo, on the other hand, faced a harsh return to reality. Fresh from a win in their previous match, hopes were high for Samir Naik's team to turn the corner. Yet, the Goa side appeared bereft of strategy and intensity, struggling to string together effective attacking plays and ultimately failing to penetrate Rajasthan's solid defence.
They remain at the eighth position with 14 points from 12 matches.
The match's opening goal came just before half-time when Oyarzun delivered a precise cross from the left. Ronaldo Johnson cleverly left the ball to bamboozle Dempo defenders and it allowed Artigas to connect powerfully at the far post.
Despite Dempo goalkeeper Ashish Sibi getting a hand to it, he couldn't prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Building on the momentum, Rajasthan FC doubled their lead shortly after resumption amidst a chaotic goal-mouth scramble that saw Dempo defenders unable to clear their lines.
Lucas Rodriguez Cabral found himself with the ball at his feet and made no mistake, driving it home to further dampen Dempo's spirits.
The onslaught continued in the 61st minute when a long forward ball caught the Dempo defence napping. Mohamed Ali misjudged the bounce, allowing the ball to reach Naoba Meetei, who coolly slipped it past the advancing defenders and goalkeeper to add a third for Rajasthan.
The final nail in the coffin was delivered in the 86th minute by Rajasthan captain Oyarzun. Set up by Cabral, Oyarzun unleashed a fierce left-footed strike from outside the box, sealing an emphatic win for his team.
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