Dempo SC go down against Gokulam Kerala FC in their fourth IFL 2025-26 fixture, undone by fine margins, a moment of misfortune and two penalty decisions that ultimately shaped the outcome of an absorbing contest.
The opening exchanges were measured both sides feeling each other out before Gokulam landed the first blow against the run of play, their strike deflecting off Dempo's goalkeeper Ashish Sibi and trickling into the net. It was the kind of goal that changes games and Dempo knew they had to respond. They did so immediately. A foul on Dempo saw Marcus Joseph step up from the resulting free kick with intent, only for the Gokulam keeper to gather comfortably. Sibi then stood tall at the other end, producing a commanding stop that prevented Gokulam from doubling their advantage when a second goal had looked inevitable.
Dempo pressed on. Sebastian Gutierrez found Marcus Joseph with a delightful ball and Joseph came agonisingly close, denied by the keeper when a goal seemed certain. A Joseph strike that had beaten the goalkeeper was then ruled out by the referee for a foul in the build-up, a decision that summed up Dempo's noon in the first half. Competitive and hopeful, yet still a goal behind at the break.
The second half belonged to Dempo. With a commanding ball possession, they pushed Gokulam deeper and deeper, with Gutierrez going inches over the woodwork early in the restart. Then came the moment that could have changed everything, Gokulam were awarded a penalty and Sibi produced an extraordinary save to deny them, keeping Dempo firmly in the contest and sending a clear message that he was not ready to surrender.
Dempo continued to press, creating and threatening, but the killer touch remained elusive. The momentum however, shifted without warning, an unfortunate penalty decision late in the contest handed Gokulam a second spot kick, which they dispatched without hesitation to put the match to bed. Deep into added time, Laximanrao Rane delivered a brilliant cross that deserved a goal, only to be brilliantly repelled by the Gokulam's keeper. At full time, the scoreboard read 2-0.
