Substitute Germanpreet Singh's early second half goal silenced the 8000 plus strong home crowd at the JN Stadium but not for too long as Royals' substitute ISL player Nadong Bhutia levelled the score.
An unchecked Singh made no mistake in converting a corner which was not well cleared. His right footer from just outside the box found the Royals net in the 54th minute giving Dempo a 1-0 lead.
Dempo's Germanpreet nearly doubled the lead but his drive from outside the box reached the hosts' keeper.
Both teams thereafter went on attacking but their strikers failed to find the target. Star strikers Loveday, Jackichand Singh and Liberian Bekay Bewar performed well in the front but were not lucky enough.
The injury-hit Dempo had to field Mandar Rao Desai, Fulganzo Cardozo, Tolgay Ozbey and Holicharan Narzary instead of Calum Angus, Peter Carvalho, Alwyn George and D Roy respectively.