Former champions Dempo SC scored a 2-0 win against newly promoted Laxmi Prasad SC in a Round 9 match of the Goa Pro League at the Duler ground in Mapusa on Wednesday afternoon.
With the win, Dempo SC ended the first phase in third place with 17 points from nine matches, while newcomers Laxmi Prasad SC finished with 11 points and in sixth place, which means they miss the championship round and will play the relegation round.
For Dempo, it was the final match ahead of the I-League start over the weekend, with the coaching staff testing a few of the regular players while some of the youngster got a start and newcomer Gabriel Fernandes made his debut.
Dempo took an early 13th minute lead as Gabriel Fernandes played the ball for Jeje Lalpekhlua, who in turn passed it to Nickson Castanha, whose shot went into the net.
Laxmi Prasad gave a good account of themselves, but they couldn’t score of their chances as Dempo took the 1-0 lead into the break.
Dempo had good chances through Jeje and Gabriel before substitute Mandar Rao Dessai capitalized on a Laxmi Prasad defensive error in the 80th minute to seal the victory for Dempo SC. It remained 2-0 for the Panaji-based side until the final whistle.