Dempo win Second Division NFL

Dempo Sports Club, Goa, won the Second Division National Football League, beating Indian Bank, Chennai, 3-0 in their concluding league match in Pondicherry on Wednesday.

The victory saw them finish the tournament with an all-win record and without conceding a goal.

Indian Bank finished second. Both teams will play in the First Division next season.

As the scoreline indicates, the Goans were tood good. They shot into the lead at the 15th minute when Alesh Samaki beat bank keeper Felix Edward with a powerful shot.

Inspired by the success, they mounted pressure which saw the bank goal survive some anxious movenments. They increased the lead in the 28th minute, when striker Dudu pounced on a loose ball and shot home.

It could have been 3-0 in the 40th minute when Mervin Rodrick lobbed the ball which almost landed in the goal. Goalkeeper Felix Edward collected the ball but it slipped out of his grasp. However, no Dempo player was around to pounce on the opportunity. In the very next minute, an alert Edward blocked a powerful Christian Okayo shot.

Levy Coelho made it 3-0 for the Goans when he collected a pass and beat the 'keeper after some fine dribbling. Though the bankmen made some desperate efforts to reduce the margin, the deep defence of the Goan side never allowed them any free entry.

Coelho missed another fine chance to score at the 70th miniute before Marcus Carvalho put the ball into the net in the 85th minute, but referee S Yasin ruled him off-side.

In another match, Bengal Mumbai Football Club, Mumbai, drubbed Bhratri Sangha, Kolkata, 3-0.

Though BMFC completed their engagements with nine points and were tied with Pax of Nagoa, of Goa, the latter finished fifth on a better goal difference.

Varthasari drew the first blood for BMFC in the 65th minute, dribbling past the defenders and making amends for earlier lapses. Peter Chiddi made 2-0 eight minutes later and then rounded off the tally in the 82nd minute.

Following are the final standings-:

1. Dempo, Goa -21 points (qualified for first division)
2. Indian Bank, Chennai - 16 points (qualified for first division)
3. Air India, Mumbai - 11 points (qualified for the final phase of second division)
4. State Bank of Travancore, Thiruvananthapuram -10 points (qualified for the final phase of second division)
5. Pax of Nagoa, Goa - 9 points
6. BMFC, Mumbai - 9 points
7. Bhratri Sangha, Kolkota - 4 points
8. INFC, New Delhi -- 0.

Second Division National Football League 2001-2002 - the complete coverage