Two second-half goals enabled Sporting Club de Goa beat lowly-placed State Bank of Travancore 2-0 and stay on course for the National Football League title, in Kozhikode on Wednesday.
It was once again the 'Dudu magic' that handed the initiative to the visitors, now leading the overall points table with 45 points.
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In the 52nd minute, captain Dudu Omagbemi neatly guided a corner kick from Wilton Gomes into the goal to put the Goans ahead.
Eight minutes later Bibiano Fernandes increased the lead after turning in a header off a Dudu pass as SBT's custodian, Jean Christian, totally misjudged the move near the goal area.
With this defeat, the bankmen now stand relegated from the league, with only 15 points and an inconsequential match left against Fransa, the date for which will be decided later.
The goalless first half, however, belonged to the Kerala team, who played quite well as usual in the initial stages but failed to score.
Omagbemi, the cynosure of all eyes, came up with many brilliant passes before finally settling to score the opener himself. The leading scorer in the League with 21 goals, he was later adjudged the man-of-the-match.
Though SBT tried hard to reduce the margin in the dying moments of the game by also bringing the in-form Sylvester Ignatius as substitute, they remained so disorganised that they could not penetrate the formidable rival defence.
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