Fatorda: Dempo SC suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat against Sreenidi Deccan FC in the I-League 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday, as Colombian forward David Castañeda Muñoz orchestrated a stunning second-half turnaround.
The Golden Eagles seemed poised for victory after first-half goals from Marcus Joseph and Juan Mera put them in control. However, Castañeda had other plans, scoring twice before setting up the winner for Brandon Vanlalremdika.
The result saw Sreenidi Deccan leapfrog Dempo to eighth place in the standings with 22 points from 16 games, while Dempo slipped to ninth with 19 points from as many matches.
Joseph opened the scoring in the eighth minute, rising highest to head in Mera’s pinpoint cross. The home side continued to press, and just before halftime, Mera doubled the lead. Despite Dempo’s control, the second half belonged to Castañeda. The league’s top scorer sparked the comeback in the 53rd minute, heading in from a deep free-kick to halve the deficit. A defensive lapse proved costly, as Dempo goalkeeper Ashish Sibi failed to collect a loose ball, allowing Castañeda to tap home the equalizer.
The decisive moment came in the 69th minute when Vanlalremdika made no mistake in firing Sreenidi Deccan into the lead for the first time.
