against Dempo SC at the Barasat Stadium and needed to win to keep their title hopes alive and take the 2008-09 I League right to the wire. Now the situation is such that the title will be decided on the last day of the League, when Bagan meet Mahindra Utd. in Delhi and Churchill Bros. meet Mohd. Sp in Goa. Bagan today wrested a vital win from the jaws of a draw. The draw would have ended Bagan dreams for winning the I League, but Bagan defender N.S. Manju made sure Bagan fans have a good nights sleep as a clinched the winner in the last minute of the game.
Bagan, who this season had won the two previous encounters with Dempo, (once in the first leg in Goa and then in the Federation Cup final) were determined to win this match and extend their tally to 13 wins in this I League. Bagan went on the offensive and played some good football in the first half. Though Dempo tried to grip the match, Bagan drew first blood through Barreto in the 28th minute.
Bhaichung scored again, but it was over-ruled by the referee. The referee seemed a bit too biased towards the Goan side as a lot of Dempo tackles went unnoticed.
Dempo though had their share of chances in the first half, Bagan also came close to scoring on a number of occasions through Ishfaq, Barreto and Bhaichung, but they were not accurate.
In the second half, after Dempo dramatically took the field late than usual, continued with their tough tackles and went grossly unnoticed, instead Marcos was shown a yellow card and he will have to sit for the last match.
However, Dempo's attempts paid off when Ranty Martins headed in the equaliser. Bagan seemed a thunderstruck and were lacking in ideas over a stretch of time, but Barreto & Co. like professionals with their "never say die" attitude kept testing the Dempo defense and Barreto, Bhaichung kept the Dempo custodian Abhijit busy under the bar.
on the 93rd minute, however, Barreto chipped in a ball and Manju headed in the winner.
Sangram to under the Bagan bar stood tall and denied the Dempo forwards on a number of occasions.
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