Kolkata: Exactly a week after winning the IFA Shield at the Salt Lake Stadium, Mohammedan Sporting went down to former champions Salgaocar 0-1 in a round 18 fixture in the I-League on Saturday.
Veteran Dudu Omagbemi scored the winner in the 23rd minute and it was a one-way traffic for the Goans from there on as a wasteful Mohammedan disappointed their home fans.
Mohammedan Sporting had also gone down in Pune 0-2 earlier and they find themselves in danger of relegation lying one point clear of bottom-rung Rangdajied United FC.
The Durand Cup champions had won the Shield at the same venue after 43 years last week but the euphoria died as they now extended their winless streak in the I-League to seven matches.
The Goans, on the other hand, brightened their hopes by jumping to fourth place with 24 points from 16 outings with their second successive win after resuming the I-League.
Salgaocar had beaten Mohun Bagan by an identical scoreline in a home match earlier.
Dudu exploited a Mohammedan defensive error as his left-footed tap got Salgaocar the all-important strike and they held on for the next 67 minutes. Four minutes later, Syed Rahim Nabi latched on to a square pass from Israil Gurung but was unlucky as his angular volley hit the post.
Gurung wasted another chance in the first-half stoppage time when he fired a wayward long ranger after being fed by Penn Orji.
The second half was nothing different for the hosts as this time Orji and Josimar wasted chances to hand the Derick Perreira-coached side full points.
In fact, the margin could have been better but Salgaocar were denied a penalty when Nabi appeared to have handled the ball inside the box in the 77th minute. (PTI)