Nigerian recruit Koko Sakibo struck a hat-trick (43rd, 79th and 90th) after captain Clifford Miranda opened the account in the 23rd minute in Dempo's 4-0 rout of Mumbai FC at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur.
In a Group C match at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri, Sporting Clube de Goa kept their semi-final hopes alive with a hard-fought 3-2 win over a spirited Kalighat Milan Milan Sangha.
Late in the evening, East Bengal survived an ONGC scare as the last year's runners-up came back from a goal deficit to win 2-1.
Katsumi Yusa took advantage of an Uga Okpara misclearance in the 11th minute to give ONGC the crucial lead.
Much to their respite, East Bengal brought the equaliser at the stroke of half-time when Edeh Chidi converted a free kick five yards from the ONGC box.
ONGC were reduced to 10 players after Yusa was sent off having picked his second yellow in the 77th minute as East Bengal got the winner three minutes later.
The East Bengal camp, who struggled in the midfield in the absence of suspended Mehtab Hossain, finally got the winning goal through Manandeep Singh.
Sporting Clube and East Bengal now have four points apiece, although the former lead the group C table on better goal difference. (MORE)
