Churchill Brothers beat their Goan rivals Dempo Sports Club 2-0 in the I-League 2024-25 Round Six at the Raia Stadium on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
In the first I-League meeting between the two sides for over a decade, the hosts took home the bragging rights.
The winners led 1-0 at halftime. While Churchill continues to lead the current points table with 13 points from six matches, Dempo remains in second position with 10 points.
It was the first time the two illustrious, decorated Goan sides were meeting in the I-league for over a decade, and almost immediately it was clear that there was no time to dust the cobwebs, or even preen at history.
In the 15th minute, From what seemed a routine clearance from a corner, the ball fell to Lalremruata at the top of the box.
The defender played a grounded pass into the area to Lalliansanga Renthlei who had his back to goal.
The defensive midfielder collected the pass and shot on the half turn, his angled attempt clipping the post and going in to spark celebrations in the Churchill camp.
Churchill never let Dempo settle and the visitors were guilty of constantly spraying passes wide or failing to control routine balls.
In the 75th minute, Anil Rama Gaonkar’s cross fell perfectly into the box to Lekay, who shook off his marker, rose perfectly, and headed it in, making it 2-0.
Real Kashmir and Aizawl share spoils
A 10-man Aizawl FC failed to learn from their mistakes as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir FC.
Despite taking the lead through Lalrinzuala in the 56th minute, Aizawl saw their advantage nullified by Shahid Nazir’s strike in the 90th minute.
The hosts’ difficulties compounded when captain Lalruatthara was sent off in injury time.
Aizawl FC broke the deadlock in the 57th minute with Lalrinzuala combining well with Augustine Lalrochana and skillfully maneuvered through the Real Kashmir defense to open the scoring.
However, their efforts were undone late in the game. Real Kashmir, showing resilience despite lesser possession in the second half, equalized from a set-piece in the final moments.
Aqib’s free-kick was initially thwarted by Lalramchhana, but the rebound fell to Nazir, who made no mistake in converting the chance, ensuring his team walked away with a point.
The draw leaves Real Kashmir in third place in the league standings with nine points from six games, while Aizawl are at the 10th spot, having gathered six points from an equal number of matches.
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