Dempo SC and Sesa FA split points

Goa Khabar : Dempo SC and Sesa FA battled to a hard-fought goalless draw in their Goa Professional League encounter at the Sirsaim ground on Sunday.

Dempo came out firing in the first half, relentlessly probing the Sesa defense in search of an early breakthrough. However, Sesa’s backline held firm under sustained pressure. The visitors earned a free kick when Rahul Rodrigues brought down Sankalp Kankonkar just outside the box to thwart a counterattack. Shridaranath Gawas delivered a dangerous ball into the area, but the Dempo defense cleared the danger with a commanding header.

Dempo nearly broke the deadlock moments later when Arnold Oliveira’s curling corner from the left found Stenis Touthang in the box. Touthang’s header was on target but met with a superb save from the Sesa goalkeeper, ensuring the scoreline remained unchanged at halftime.

Sesa FA emerged from the break with renewed purpose, with head coach Charles Dias injecting fresh energy into the side by introducing Clencio Pinto and Chaitan Dhabolkar to bolster the wings. The tactical shift gave Sesa added impetus, but Dempo’s defense, led by a resolute backline, remained unyielding.

The game saw its share of drama in the 53rd minute when Dempo’s Sairon Albuquerque was shown a yellow card for a rash challenge, briefly disrupting the tempo. Despite the occasional flare-up, both sides failed to find the cutting edge to secure all three points, settling for a share of the spoils.

In another fixture, CD Salgaocar and Pax of Nagoa also played out a goalless draw at Tilak Maidan.