Chennaiyin FC and Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) made amends for a scrappy first session with a highly entertaining second half that saw the host edge the defending champion 3-2 for its third successive win in an Indian Super League match here on Thursday.
After a goalless first half, both teams played an attractive brand of football, resulting in five goals being pumped in. Jeje Lalpekhlua’s brace was the highlight of the day. It was the striker’s opportunistic strike in the dying minutes that saw Chennaiyin emerge a deserving winner. Every time Chennaiyin went ahead, ATK fought back resolutely.
Once Zequinha equalised with a stinging right-footer within 10 minutes of Jeje’s header, Inigo Calderon’s strike deflected off Tom Thorpe and found the net.
But ATK striker Njazi Kuqi struck to equalise again off a neat pass from Robbie Keane. Then came the Jeje’s magic. Calderon’s shot was pushed away by the ’keeper Debjit Majumder, but the diminutive striker was there to stab it home.
For a striker of Jeje’s ability, not being to able to find the back of the net in three previous matches was pretty unusual, but the 26-year-old found the right stage to stamp his presence.
Both teams showed intent in the second half, weaving some eye-catching moves.
A wonderful left-foot on the run by ATK’s Bipin Singh saw Karanjit Singh jumping high to fist it away. Then, CFC’s Jaime Gavilan’s left foot went wide off the near post. Chennaiyin made one change to its starting eleven, replacing Raphael Augusto with Gavilan. On the other hand, ATK made three changes. It brought back its regular goalkeeper Debjit Majumder in place of Jussi Jaaskelainen and got Rupert Nongrum for the injured Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Njazi Kuqi for Robin Singh.
The results: Chennaiyin FC 3 (Lalpekhlua 65 & 90, Calderon 84) bt ATK 2 (Zequinha 77, Njazi Kuqi 89).
