It was a day of wins being signed, sealed, and delivered in the second half as both Rajasthan United FC and Dempo SC clinched their maiden wins of the I-League 2024-25 season on Saturday.
Here’s a look at the action that unfolded in the 2024-25 I-League on November 30:
Rajasthan United comes alive in second half to bag full points
Rajasthan United FC staged a 3-1 comeback victory over host Namdhari FC at the Namdhari Stadium.
After a fairly lacklustre start, Namdhari took the lead fortuitously in the 18th minute of the game via an own goal. A long ball played from the back was volleyed into the Rajasthan net by defender Wayne Vaz as he was put under pressure by Akashdeep Singh in the box.
Rajasthan slowly worked its way back into the game. The half-time break did not affect the visitor’s momentum and the renewed desire and speed from the wings brought them just reward soon after when William Neihsial was brought down inside the box by Namdhari defender Manvir Singh. Spanish recruit Alain Oyarzun duly converted the spot kick to draw his side level in the 51st minute.
Seiminmang Manchong dribbled and outwitted three Namdhari defenders outside the box, before unleashing a low effort at goal in the 73rd minute to give Rajasthan the lead.
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Namdhari made things worse for itself when it had a player sent off with 10 minutes of the game to be played. The cherry came with Vaz’s redemption in the 85th minute of the game when the defender finished Namdhari off, tapping in from close range after Jaspreet had saved Ronny Pena’s header from a well-delivered free kick.
Dempo overcomes Shillong Lajong challenge to register first win
Former champion Dempo Sports Club clinched its first victory of the season defeating Shillong Lajong FC 2-0 at the SSA Stadium.
Pruthvesh Pednekar (53rd minute) and Matija Babović (90th minute) were the scorers, securing a vital away win for Dempo. Samir Naik’s men were held to a goalless draw in the first game against Aizawl FC.
Dempo adopted a defensive strategy similar to its previous match, focusing on maintaining a compact formation that soaked in Lajong’s attacks. This approach kept the side in the game during the first half where genuine scoring opportunities were scarce for both sides.
The second half saw a shift in dynamics as Dempo became more assertive. Its change in approach quickly bore fruit when Pruthvesh Pednekar headed in a corner from Cristián Damián Pérez in the 53rd minute. Although Chalieu managed to get a hand to it, the power and direction of the header were too much to handle, giving Dempo the lead.
As the match neared its conclusion, Dempo confirmed its dominance when Babović spectacularly scored in the 91st minute. From the right side of the field, Babović unleashed a formidable shot that swerved deceivingly, evading Chalieu and smashing into the top right corner of the net and giving the Goan giant an unassailable lead.
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