Dempo Sports Club were too hot to handle for Indian Air Force XI. The defending champions stormed into the quarter-finals of Osian's Durand Cup football tournament with a 5-0 victory at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi on Thursday.

Coach Armando Colaco's foreign recruits were on target as Ranti Martins (sixth minute), Roberto Silva (21st and 71st) and Chidi Edeh (45th and 75th) ensured there were no alarms for the reigning National League champions.

In the other match of the day, New Delhi Heroes gave fancied Air India a run for their money before going down 1-3.

Two goals from Nigerian Bashiru Abbas (18th and 65th minutes) and one from Samson Singh (70th) bailed out Bimal Ghosh's team.

Malswama raised visions of a possible upset with the equaliser in the 48th minute but it was not to be.

The Heroes, owned by the sponsors and organisers of the tournament, were vociferously egged on by their supporters who had turned up in good numbers, but it was to no avail.

Air India will take on Demp in the quarter-finals.

Dempo were playing without their national team stars -- Samir Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence -- but their absence was hardly felt on the field. They were in action two days ago in the World Cup qualifier against Lebanon in Goa [Images] and Colaco did not feel the necessity to field them in his team's opening encounter.

The Goans meant business from the beginning and Chidi, especially, was hard to contain.

The Nigerian capitalised on some confusion in the rival penalty area and played a square pass for compatriot Martins, who easily beat 'keeper Aurobindo Bandopadhyay.

Chidi weaved his magic again as he went to the back line and his centre went across the face of the goal. Martins, who was inside the six-yard box, could hardly believe his luck but failed to find the target which was at his mercy.

But Dempo's second strike seemed inevitable when Chidi's cut back was slammed home with a rasping side-volley by Silva.

Air Force were hardly able to launch any significant attacks and their first attempt on target came in the 24^th minute when Prashanta Singh's shot from distance was easily collected by Dempo keeper V P Satish Kumar.

Dempo went three up just before the break when Martins went to the back line and centred for Chidi to find the bottom corner on the turn.

The Goan outfit could have scored several more in the second period but they seemed to take it a bit easy trying to conserve energy for bigger battles.

They had to wait till the final quarter of the game before adding to their tally.

Martins played a through ball for Silva to run on to and as Bandopadhyay rushed forward to cut off the angle, the Brazilian rounded off the keeper and found the far corner.

Chidi made it five for the winners when he headed in a Martins chip into the top corner.

Dempo were well-served by their midfield, comprising Anthony Pereira, Nascimento Silveira, Silva and Nicolau Borges, who kept the two Nigerian forwards busy with their constant supply.

At the back, John Dias, Dominic Noronha, Cresson Antao and Valeriano Rebello gave no joy to the opposition. Rebello was also active on the right touchline as he kept overlapping to deliver crosses for the strikers.

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