Bengaluru FC will go into the final game of the season needing a win against Mohun Bagan AC to retain their I-League title after Ashley Westwood’s team were held to a 1-1 draw by Dempo SC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Goa, on Sunday. Robin Singh came off the bench to head Bengaluru to a 65th minute lead before Uttam Rai levelled things a little more than ten minutes later.

In the day’s early kick-off, fellow title contenders Mohun Bagan beat Sporting Clube de Goa 2-0 at home to move to 38 points while the result in Goa meant the Blues are on 36 points as Kanteerava will play host to what will be a historic title for either of the teams.

Spare a Sean Rooney header that sailed over, Bengaluru didn’t do much in a half where Dempo sat pretty with possession and had more than a few chances that Lalthuammawia Ralte was at hand to save. Battling relegation, the hosts were always going to come up with an inspired show, something Westwood spoke about in his pre-match press conference on Saturday.

The lackluster half was always going to see Westwood throw in changes and it was little surprise when Robin and Udanta Singh were brought on for CK Vineeth and Sunil Chhetri in attack. It took only 15 minutes for the tweak in tactics to click when Eugeneson Lyngdoh, like he has done so many times this season, swung in a perfect corner that Robin rose to head home as Bengaluru grabbed the lead.

The goal seemed to have put Bengaluru into the groove as they began getting more comfortable on the ball. But Dempo had a substitute of their own pull a goal back when Uttam Rai shot past Ralte from a little inside the box on what was his debut for the Goa club. Picked out by fellow substitute Mandar Desai, Rai bided his time and with no defender choosing to attack him, made space and scored to make it 1-1.

Knowing a point would leave them with the same task on the final day of the I-League as a win would, Bengaluru were keen on seizing control of things. They could have even got the win but Shankar Sampingiraj’s header from a corner sailed over with a little less than five minutes to the whistle.

The Blues leave for Hong Kong on Sunday night to play South China AA in the AFC Cup pre-quarterfinal before they host Bagan in a game that will be nothing short of a humdinger.