Dempo beat Royal Wahingdoh 3-2 in a closely-fought I-League match in Goa

Tolgay Ozbey’s brace ensured three points for Dempo SC

Dempo clinched a thrilling win against Shillong’s Royal Wahingdoh at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa. Sushil Kumar Singh scored the opening goal in the 26th minute. Loveday Enyinnaya restored parity for the away side in 45th minute. Tolgay Ozbey scored the second goal for Dempo in the 82nd minute which was again equalized by Densil Theobald in the 85th minute. Ozbey completed his brace to secure three points for his side by scoring in the 92nd minute.

Dempo were hungry for three points as they were struggling at the bottom half of the league table. Marquee player, Carlos Hernandez was relegated to the bench. Sushil Kumar Singh started as the striker upfront.

The Indian ace scored the opening goal for the Goan side in the 26th minute. It was an end to end affair for the entire 90 minutes as both the teams attacked with similar zeal. At the stroke of half time, Loveday Enyinnaya converted an easy tap-in after a bizarre defensive display by the Dempo players.

The second half saw a frantic end

The second half began with equal intensity as both teams attacked in numbers. Tolgay Ozbey was introduced by Trevor James Morgan in 63rd minute to sharpen Dempo’s attacks. Ozbey got a few chances but they were blocked by Wahingdoh defenders.

The breakthrough came in the 82nd minute as Tolgay was given a lot of space at the edge of the box. The Australian fired a brilliant shot which found the back of the net.

Just when things were going in Dempo’s favour, Densil Thobald equalized yet again for Santosh Kashyap’s side just 3 minutes later after Tolgay’s goal. It was a result of a speedy counter attack as Theobald took ample time and jolted at the Dempo defense.

As the game reached its penultimate moment, Tolgay Ozbey completed his brace and ensured full points for Dempo SC. The full three points was extremely important for Trevor James Morgan’s side as they go up in the league table. Royal Wahingdoh, on the other hand, are slowly losing their grip at the top. Even though they are still in second position, they have played 3 games more than nearest rivals.