Indian Football League: Stoppage time goals help Chanmari FC beat Dempo SC

Stoppage-time goals from Lalruatsanga and Jota respectively ensured Chanmari FC’s Dempo SC won 2-0 in the Indian Football League 2025-26 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl on Saturday.

The result moved Chanmari to fifth place past Dempo SC with 14 points, while the Goan side slipped to sixth place with 13 points. The home team was reduced to ten men in the 82nd minute after Aron Vanlalrinchhana received his second yellow card.

Dempo SC looked the liveliest side in the opening exchanges, using width effectively through Seigoumang Doungel and Vieri Colaco, both of whom made repeated rising runs down the flanks in an attempt to supply Marcus Joseph in the box. The visitors also pressed aggressively whenever Chanmari FC had possession, forcing the hosts to move the ball quickly in tight spaces.

Despite Dempo’s energetic start, neither side managed to gain clear control in the early stages, although both teams showed attacking intent. Chanmari registered the first goal attempt in the ninth minute as Lalruatsanga tried his luck from distance, but his effort sailed high and wide.

After a slow start, Chanmari gradually settled into the match and also started to threaten through the wider area. KC Malsawmsanga and Aron Vanlalrinchhana caused problems with their runs in the final third, helping the hosts gain momentum.

In the 20th minute, Lalruatsanga showed neat footwork in midfield to avoid his marker before releasing Malsawmsanga on the right. The winger cut into the penalty area and aimed for the near post, but narrowly missed the target.

While Dempo continued to rely heavily on the flanks for attacking progression, the lack of penetration through central areas left Marcus Joseph isolated for much of the half. Sebastian Gutierrez, on the other hand, regularly dropped deeper to connect the play and initiate offensive moves for the Golden Eagles.

The hosts increasingly emerged as the better side as the half progressed, stitching together promising attacking sequences while maintaining a compact defensive shape whenever Dempo ventured forward.

Chanmari’s pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time. A corner kick that ended up in Dempo’s penalty area was not dealt with convincingly, allowing Lalthangliana to pounce on the loose ball and fire a low effort. Although the shot was blocked, the rebound fell kindly to Lalruatsanga, who produced an acrobatic finish to put Chanmari 1-0 ahead.

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The home side continued their momentum in the second half, dominating possession and keeping the ball inside the Dempo half. The first real chance came after Lalruatsanga played a low cross into the box, which Pruthvesh Pednekar failed to clear. Malsawmsanga, who was behind him, was unable to make a solid connection with the ball, ultimately thwarting his attempt, causing no problems for the goalkeeper.

At the other end, Gutierrez had a long-range effort for the visitors which went slightly wide of the post, before Lalmuanpuia had one of his own at the other end for the home side after a well-worked move down the right flank.

The final quarter of the match was largely a physical battle in midfield, with both sides going for the ball in the middle of the pitch. Tackles flew at both ends of the pitch and in the 82nd minute Chanmari were reduced to 10 men. Aron Vanlalrinchhana received his second yellow card for a rash foul on Laximanrao Rane, forcing the home side to play a man short in the final minutes of the match.

Both head coaches brought new legs into the game, especially Chanmari who saw three players taken off the field of play on stretchers. The Goan side increased the pressure on the home side when seven minutes of stoppage time were provided.

Dempo, on the back of a flurry of set pieces, saw two efforts from Shubham Rawat and Gutierrez blocked and deflected off the defenders for a corner. The home team defended deep in their own penalty area, but retained the lead.

While Dempo put in numbers to find the equalizer, Chanmari was deadly on the counter, finding the second goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time and putting the game to bed. Jota dribbled the ball into the penalty area and fired a low right-footed shot from the edge of the box that went into the back of the net past the goalkeeper.

Published on May 9, 2026