SC Bengaluru stop Dempo's upward march with emphatic win

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 7 (ANI): Newbies SC Bengaluru defeated Dempo Sports Club 3-1 to secure their first-ever win in the I-League 2024-25 at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Saturday.
For the hosts, Krishananda Singh scored early with a strike in the first minute before Salam Johnson Singh (86th minute) and Jordan Lamela (90+5) sealed the victory during the closing stage. Saiesh Bagkar netted for Dempo SC in the 43rd minute, an I-League press release stated.
Dempo came into the match on the back of an unblemished record with three clean sheets and were yet to taste defeat with two wins and a draw. However, SC Bengaluru shattered Dempo's defensive solidity early on.
The win means that SC Bengaluru are now ninth in the league table with three points from four games. Dempo remained in the third spot with seven points from four matches.
The game took off with an early blunder by Dempo's backline during a corner taken by Jordan Lamela. The defence failed to clear the ball cleanly. An unmarked Krishananda Singh was lurking nearby to effortlessly tap in from close range.
Although Dempo aimed to respond quickly to the early setback, their efforts were marred by mispasses and a lack of cohesive play.
In contrast, SC Bengaluru displayed superior coordination, frequently threatening through set-pieces. One such moment came in the 16th minute when Lamela's curling free-kick from 22 yards was narrowly thwarted by Dempo's goalkeeper Ashish Sibi.
Dempo got their first chance to score an equaliser midway in the first half when Cristian Damian Perez floated in a free kick over SC Bengaluru defenders to find Saiesh Bagkar, who headed it wide.
Bagkar redeemed himself in the 43rd minute when he scored the leveller. Perez once again swung in a well-directed corner from the right and Bagkar balanced himself well inside the box to hit a thundering shot and draw the match level at half-time.
The second half saw both teams adopting a more cautious approach. This meant that chances were created few and far between. SC Bengaluru nearly regained the lead in the 80th minute with a potent attempt by Shafeel PP but he was denied by Sibi's crucial intervention.
Six minutes later, though, SC Bengaluru extended their advantage. Shafeel charged down the right flank before floating in a cross. Sibi, despite making several key saves earlier, misjudged the flight of the ball this time. The cross sailed over him to Salam Johnson Singh, who was perfectly positioned at the far post. Unchallenged, Johnson effortlessly slotted the ball home.
But SC Bengaluru were not done yet. They sealed the match in their favour in the 90+5 minutes through Lamela. After being fed a ball at the top of the box, Lamela unleashed a powerful left-footer that nestled into the back of the net to spark jubilant celebrations in the home team camp. (ANI)