By Salgaocar FC Media

GOA: Salgaocar FC and Dempo Sc played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in the Goa Professional League played at the Duler Stadium in Mapusa. Both teams were locked scoreless at the breather. With this draw Salgaocar continue to hold on to third place with 18 points from 10 outings while Dempo move to 16 points from as many matches.

Salgaocar were off the blocks faster of the two sides and had a great opportunity to open the scoring as early as the 7^th minute. Clifton Dias did well to find Australian Calvin Mbarga, who beat his marker and in turn found Martin Scott in the box, the last named shooting over after Ali Mohammed had just done enough to put him off.

The three were in thick of things again a couple of minutes later as Clifton found Martin who in turn played the ball to Calvin, the last named the culprit on this occasion, shooting wide. In the 19^th minute, Beevan D’Mello’s misplaced pass could have proved costly but Jason Barbosa was unable to bring the ball under complete control to trouble Tyson in the Dempo goal. At the other end Nickson Castanha shot just over after Beevan had been fouled just outside the box. At the half hour mark Leny Pereira did brilliantly to find Calvin with a long ball, the latter controlling the ball but failing to hit the target.

Three minutes later Martin flicked an inswinging free-kick from Brian Mascarenhas just wide and shortly after Dempo nearly found the breakthrough as an onrushing Uttam Rai go narrowly wide off a good cross from Shallum Pires.

In the 40^th minute, Uttam did well to beat a couple of Salgaocar players but his stiff grounder was well dealt with by Bruno Colaco under the Salgaocar bar. That was to be the last chance of the half.

After the change of ends, Calvin almost found the back of the net in the very first minute of the second half but to his dismay the ball came off the upright after being set up by Martin. Calvin was the culprit yet again as he headed wide a well-floated free-kick by substitute Alesh Sawant who came in at half time in place of Jason Barbosa. With 20 minutes to go, Alesh saw his free-kick miss by a whisker after Calvin was brought down in a dangerous position. In the 74^th minute Beevan did ever so well to out substitute Aniston Fernandes through on goal, the last named shooting over from close range.

In the very next minute Dempo did have the lead though. Beevan very much in the thick of things again as he found himself in space in the box to calmly slot past the Salgaocar keeper. With 2 minutes to go Brian’s corner was punched away by Tyson and off the rebound Aslon Oliveira let fly, his effort missing the upright by a whisker. The Greens did have the final say however as Aslon volleyed home a screamer from 25-yards out in the 91^st minute, much to the delight of his team mates and the Salgaocar fans.